'I live in a 28-room mansion - but it keeps getting damaged by Heathrow planes'

Daljit Bhail
-Credit: (Image: No credit)


A man has lodged complaints that his £3m Grade II-listed mansion near Heathrow Airport is enduring "vortex damage" from low-flying planes and even strikes by falling ice. Daljit Bhail, 54, who has lived in the large Georgian house for nearly 25 years, claims that aircraft have caused notable damage to his residence which lies adjacent to the south runway of terminal five.

He reports severe gusts from planes impacting the building and suspects ice shedding from aircraft has hit the 18th-century home - allegations that Heathrow refutes.

The property investor from Hounslow communicated his grievances: "It's just madness how they treat a listed building and the planes wake me and guests up at 3am." Daljit also contends that blue ice - the frozen waste from airplane lavatories - has smashed a glass lantern outside his expansive 28-room mansion, which is available to rent on Airbnb.

READ MORE: The London neighbourhood once named best place to retire that's now 'full of addicts living in HMOs'

Pics of some of the damage
Daljit claims the damage was caused by low-flying planes -Credit:SWNS

He also believes a vortex previously damaged his property's roofing, a building with historical ties to founder of the SAS. He criticises Heathrow for neglecting the structure after reportedly agreeing to conduct repairs, a point contested by the airport, reports the Mirror.

Though reports suggest Heathrow dispatched a contractor for reparations, proceedings came to a halt due to disagreements with Daljit. Frustrated, he remarked: "It's a stand off - they sent an assessor out who confirmed the house had been hit by a vortex strike, and said they would nail down the tiles but then they said they couldn't as it's a listed building."

Daljit criticised Heathrow airport for what he calls a "shoddy job" by a technician who attempted to repair his roof back in April, resulting in nails scattered everywhere and a foot through the ceiling. Pictures and videos of the disaster display sharp nails jutting out from loft walls, clear evidence of the botched repair work.

Daljit also expressed frustration with scaffolding erected five months ago which has been left standing, now with ivy scaling its lengthsignalling the dire neglect. The situation has financially burdened him as it renders his Airbnb listing far less appealing to prospective visitors due to safety concerns and the unsightly fixtures.

"The scaffolding now has ivy growing up it it's been there so long," Daljit stated, voicing his frustration with the ongoing issues: "Safety is my top concern as I can't rent out the property with all this going on," he added, detailing further problems like the relentless noise caused by low-flying planes. "Sometimes there is less than a minute gap between planes flying overhead," he noted.

Highlighting yet another hazard, Daljit commented on the dangers posed by aircraft: "It's not just the damage - it's really loud and they shouldn't be flying that low."

He especially fears the peril of ice falling from passing planes, having already experienced damages. "If ice can fall off and go through a double screen window, which it has, what happens if someone is underneath? It's extremely dangerous!"

A spokesperson for Heathrow Airport, addressing the issue, stated: "We have well-established programmes to protect local buildings from the impacts of airport operations, including preventative works and noise insulation. In the rare cases where a property is damaged, we work with specialist contractors who will assess the most suitable repair, at no cost to the resident."

Get the biggest stories from around London straight to your inbox. Sign up to MyLondon's The 12 HERE for the 12 biggest stories each day.