A SOUTHAMPTON man has hit out at his landlord after being banned from drying his laundry outside of his flat.

Roy Smith from Barrow Down Gardens, Hightown, claims he felt forced by Countrywide to use a tumble dryer, which he believes contributes to global warming.

The 62-year-old retired survival instructor has also complained using a tumble dryer is draining his Employment and Support Allowance.

He said: “I have been living here for 15 years and we are not provided with drying lines, despite having the room for a rotary line. The housing association are claiming to be responsible and yet they are asking us to use more heating to dry out clothes.

“The landlord says the washing is an eyesore, but the biggest eyesore around here is the car park.”

Roy does his laundry once a week which involves going outside to tie his washing on his makeshift line between two trees.

He added: “I am given £100 a week for my Employment and Support Allowance, but when you take out £50 for electricity and water, as well as £50 to £60 for your phone, it brings me into accommodation poverty.

“I do not have any grandchildren yet, but I do not want them to turn round and say ‘grandad you have ruined our planet’. This is about everyone’s future."

He said: “My dad cheered when he saw a windfarm go up for the first time and said Southampton could generate its own power by using water from the Solent. He said we are the caretakers of this planet and if we do not think about that we will die.”

One resident said: “I am quite annoyed because when we moved here 23 years ago we were not initially told we could not have washing lines outside of our flats.

“I am asthmatic so drying clothes is not good for me.”

Another resident added: “I think it’s discrimination against people who live in flats and other people here dry their laundry outside of the flats on airers.”

As reported by the Daily Echo, the ban comes after tenants in a Southampton City Council building vowed to fight the authority after it banned doormats from their city block.

A spokesperson from Countrywide said: “We take instruction from our client, the Residents Management Company (RMC).

“The RMC remains in close proximity with the housing association who’ve advised the tenants in the block not to hang or expose in or upon any part of the premises so as to be visible from the outside any clothes or washing of any description (except on any balcony or other open area).”