INSPECTIONS at a city tower blocked dubbed the 'house of horrors' have revealed several cracks in the building.

In a letter sent to residents of Canberra Tower, the city council says residents should not be concerned by the cracks and they do not affect the structure of the building.

It comes after residents at the 24-storey block in Weston raised a host of concerns with issues including mould, damp and broken lifts.

The council vowed to take “immediate action” to fix the faults, and says a wider refurbishment project of the tower will take place next year.

The letter sent by the council’s head of housing Nick Cross to residents says engineers have carried out two inspections at the block in recent weeks.

A vertical crack up to 5mm thick was discovered on the right-hand side of the corridor on the ground floor.

Hairline cracks were also spotted on flooring and the left-hand walls of several lower floors, while residents have reported cracks on other floors.

In his letter, Mr Cross says: “Whilst I am sure residents feel the cracks are worrying they are not an indication of any problems with the structural integrity of the building.”

He says the engineer said cracking came from thermal cracks as materials expand and contract, and do not affect the structural stability of the block.

Mr Cross says lifts in the block are currently being refurbished and the roof is set to be recovered with new insulation over the next few months.

He also says a wider project to provide a range of improvements is set to start in mid-2017 and last for about a year.

The project will include new insulation, the replacement of all windows and the addition of a new render that will protect it for the next 30 years.

Other work will include new flooring and decorations in communal areas while the shed areas may also be brought back into use.

He concludes the letter by saying: “[Cabinet member for housing] Cllr Payne and myself would like to thank residents for bringing a series of concerns to our attention and we hope we have picked up all of your concerns and provided an update.

“Canberra Towers is nearly 50 years old and as such we recognise that it requires some refurbishment and I hope this letter confirms our commitment to do so.

“Such refurbishment is a significant project and therefore will take a period of time however we are confident that what we are proposing will hugely improve Canberra Towers for the next generation.”