Elderly residents are 'living in fear' at a sleepy south Liverpool retirement complex where anti-social behaviour and drug dealing is rife.
Police have been called repeatedly to Rose Court in Wavertree in recent years, with some of the elderly people living there now afraid to leave their homes amid tense and 'intimidating' atmosphere.
Run by Riverside, Rose Court is marketed as retirement living accommodation in a quiet cul-de-sac close to the vibrant Lawrence Road. It offers eight bungalows and 18 one-bedroomed private apartments for people aged over 55.
But in recent years, Rose Court tenants say their idyllic retirement setting has been disrupted, with regular anti-social behaviour and reports of drug dealing linked to one of the properties in the court.
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Residents said police have been called numerous times, including last weekend when one neighbour reported stumbling across a drug deal taking place behind their property, only to be confronted and intimidated by those involved who threatened to burn her house down.
Speaking about the impact on residents, one Rose Court tenant said: "The problems here started around three years ago. A new tenant moved in and there was a steady stream of people coming in and out of the house. Suddenly there were lots of lads in hoods on bikes and scooters hanging around the court."
The man, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, added: "People started getting kept up late by noise, shouting and banging on doors. We have seen drug deals taking place behind people's homes and in the car park. We have found people smoking weed behind our communal areas."
He said previous incidents have led to the police making arrests, but with no further action taken. The court has now been placed on high alert, meaning officers arrive quickly to reports."
One of the residents spoke about the atmosphere in Rose Court. He said: "We all feel very vulnerable and intimidated. Many of the residents here are older ladies, some of them are in wheelchairs."
"People are really scared. They are scared to leave their homes in case something happens."
Describing the incident on Sunday, the man said: "I was in the kitchen and I saw a man walking across the court, he went around the back of one of the houses. There was shouting and screaming. We later found out our neighbour had caught them dealing drugs behind the house and when she challenged them, the man threatened to burn her house down."
He added: "We are all living on eggshells all the time. The residents are living in fear."
"This is somewhere that people - many of whom are older -should feel safe. We feel like we are being let down by Riverside. There is constant tension. No one can relax. It's a nightmare."
The concerned residents of Rose Court say they have constantly reported the issues they are facing to Riverside, but despite regular meetings with the housing association, nothing has changed.
One of the residents, who has been a Riverside tenants in various locations for more than four decades, said she had 'never felt so let down.'
Responding to the concerns and criticisms, a spokesperson from Riverside said: “We are fully committed to dealing firmly and fairly with acts of crime and anti-social behaviour.
“We have been working with our Community Safety Team to investigate an allegation of drug dealing and intimidation at Rose Court, our retirement living scheme in Wavertree.
“We’re sorry to hear our customers are not fully satisfied with how we are handling their concerns.
“We would like to reassure residents that we are taking the matter very seriously and are following our anti-social behaviour procedure. Where allegations of criminal activity or anti-social behaviour are proved, we will take appropriate action to ensure our customers can live happily and safely in their homes.
“We are working closely with the police to support with their ongoing investigations, including through installing additional CCTV. As part of our action plan agreed with affected customers, our team are onsite weekly. We ask customers to continue contacting us should they have any concerns, but to please call 999 in the event of an emergency.”
Merseyside Police Community policing inspector David Uren said: “We can confirm we have received reports of alleged drug dealing at Rose Court and this is being investigated by a local policing officer.
“We take reports of criminality and anti-social behaviour very seriously and I would like to reassure residents that we are actively monitoring the situation.
“We are also engaging with residents and listening to their concerns, and working with housing officers to resolve and prevent any further issues from taking place.
“We encourage anyone living in the area to report any suspected drug dealing and anti-social behaviour in your community to us. If you CCTV or doorbell footage as evidence then please contact us so we can take action.”
To report a crime contact us @MerPolCC or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress.
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