City officials have boarded up a northeast London apartment building, saying it’s become the “cancer” of a neighbourhood — overrun by squatters who have torn the place apart .

The three-storey walkup at 1438 Beckworth Ave., is one of about 100 buildings on city radar as part of a blitz to crack down on vacant and hazardous buildings.

Though it had renters last summer, the building has been overrun by squatters who break in regularly and use the place to inject drugs and spend the night.

Children’s toys and clothing, overturned laundry baskets, broken furniture and hundreds of used needles cover the floor of two upstairs apartments.

“Fill this room with smoke and have (firefighters) walk around here trying to do a search of this room . . . ” said Deputy Fire Chief Gary Bridge, standing in an apartment with overturned furniture, and blanketed by used needles, broken mirrors and glass.

Fire inspectors who entered the building two weeks earlier and noticed doors off hinges and smoke detectors removed, had issued a “threat-to-life order,” which meant the property owner must repair fire safety systems and install safeguards. But Friday, doors were off hinges again, and a mattress blocked stairs.

“This building is a cancer in this neighbourhood,” said city bylaw manager Orest Katolyk.

“Strong action has to be taken against property owners who let their buildings deteriorate.”

Building owner Mark Hiemstra said late Friday he was not aware of the threat to life order placed against him two weeks earlier. He said the building was in fine condition as recently as last summer, but he has had many problems with tenants since then.

He said he paid a property management company $2,500 last December to clean the place up.

"They said they'd look after the place for me," he said. "They were going to get the place cleaned up and get the bad tenants out. . .

"I didn't realize it was at this point."

Katolyk said the city has been tipped off by neighbours living in family homes surrounding the apartment building.

“(They) do not deserve this kind of building to negatively impact their quality of life, their property values,” Katolyk said.

The city has demolished about 25 derelict buildings since starting the blitz last November.

“This property can be rehabbed to acceptable living conditions. You’d have to bring in a few dumpsters,” Katolyk said.

As part of the blitz, the city has created an e-mail address — vacantbuilding@london.ca — so the public can report vacant buildings.