Residents have slammed Enfield Borough Council for ignoring their objections to a planning application near their homes after it emerged fake letters had been sent in their name supporting the proposals.

One letter, apparently sent on behalf of Cockfosters resident Hulya Ozyigit, said she supported the building work in a neighbour’s garden when in fact she was opposed to it.

She told the Enfield Independent that the typed letter was a clear counterfeit.

“The letter wasn’t signed and it had the right address but the wrong name,” she said, adding that other neighbours had discovered similar letters sent on their behalf.

But Mrs Ozyigit said Enfield Borough Council repeatedly ignored her attempts to set the record straight.

“I wrote them a letter and sent it to them with recorded delivery. I also took a copy of it to the council and handed it in myself. They gave me a receipt.”

However, councillors considering an application for building work in the same garden at October’s planning committee meeting were told no objections had been received and were advised by planning officials to grant permission.

Mrs Ozyigit said: “We were there at the meeting and we told them the council had not listened to us.

“You could tell by the shocked looks that evening that people were surprised. They weren’t expecting [our objections].”

The councillors eventually decided to defer a decision and visit the garden to see for themselves.

An Enfield Borough Council spokesman said the council had launched an investigation and would not comment until it was complete.