A Leeds neighbourhood has become overrun with drug addicts and alcoholics, according to the “angry” residents who’ve hit out at Leeds City Council.
West Yorkshire Police attended Birch Court, in Morley, after a woman was stabbed on Saturday, February 11. Residents have said this points to a wider issue with drugs in the area, which they say has been caused by the council housing 'drug addicts' and 'alcoholics' in the area.
Residents say drug deals happen frequently in broad daylight, and they find used needles and beer bottles chucked into their gardens and fear for the safety of their children who have to witness all of this. Leeds City Council denies there are any active council schemes to house drug users in the area and says prospective tenants are risk assessed.
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Grandmother-of-13 Susan Fox, 63, says she moved in to her flat in 2009 because it was known as a quiet area where lots of other elderly people lived. But she says in recent years the neighbourhood has become “horrendous” with the amount of crime.
Susan Fox said: “When I moved in it was all older people living here. Now you’ve got alcoholics and people taking drugs. We never used to have any of that, it’s all been nice and quiet.
“There’s drug dealing over here regularly. There was a stolen car here the other week which the police chased. It’s gotten a lot worse over the last few years, it’s gotten horrendous with the people who have moved in. The council have put them here and they shouldn’t have done.
“There’s a woman living here who’s over 100 years old. She doesn’t want drug addicts and alckies here.”
'Poor people'
Another resident, who lives across the road from Birch Court and who wished to remain anonymous, spoke of the horrors she’s had to deal with. The mother spoke of her anger, after her children, three, five and eight, regularly have to witness drug deals and live in fear of drug addicts interacting with them.
The mother-of-three said: “The poor people in the surrounding flats have to deal with daily drug fallouts. I’ve seen one of the perpetrators being chased down the street with a hammer by another and then back together the next day.
“I’ve had used needles thrown into my garden, booze bottles and cans in my hedges. Junkies trying to speak to my kids, arguments at all hours and it always boils down to drugs or money so the people in Birch Court and Blenkinsop Court must have it even worse.
“If it weren’t for them this would be a quiet street but the council and police just waste resources on the local smackheads.”
Another resident said: "We get trouble on a regular basis now due to the amount of drug users housed in the flats. It's awful it used to be a lovely quiet area until the last few years, most neighbours on the street have had some kind of CCTV/ring doorbells fitted."
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A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “We work very closely through the Safer Leeds partnership to address all concerns around anti-social behaviour and wider crime issues in Leeds.
“Together we recognise that the real and genuine concerns raised by residents on the estate cannot and should not be dealt with by just one organisation.
“We are putting longer-term solutions in place to target issues that arise around crime and anti-social behaviour and are committed to doing everything we can to take robust action to bring those responsible for it to justice, reassure the community and deter those involved in crime and anti-social behaviour.
“There are no active council schemes specifically to house drug users in this area and Housing Leeds risk assesses prospective tenants prior to making an offer of accommodation in relation to Birch Court. We would ask anyone who is experiencing anti-social behaviour in Blekinsop Court or Birch Court to please contact the police or the council’s dedicated anti-social behaviour team as soon as possible.
“Residents can be assured that all cases will be investigated in a thorough and confidential manner.”
People with concerns about anti-social behaviour can call West Yorkshire Police on 101, use the Live Chat function on the force’s website or contact Leeds City Council’s anti-social behaviour team on 0113 868 9984 (council number available Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm).
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