The heartbroken mum of a man who died of an overdose at a homeless hotel in Glasgow has launched a petition calling for an enquiry into the accommodation.
Linda McVean's son Frankie died after taking street Valium at the Queens Park Hotel in May.
The 30-year-old scaffolder was not believed to be a drug addict and had been put up in the hotel as a stopgap while awaiting a council tenancy.
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Linda is set to meet with Humza Yousaf to discuss her call for better conditions in homeless hotels, the Daily Record reports.
She has launched a petition, which highlights how people with known drug issues shouldn't be placed in hotels known to have experienced regular overdoses and multiple deaths.
At the Queens Park Hotel, at least 10 people have died in three years, including three since the start of May.
Linda, 54, said: “Humza Yousaf said he will meet me on July 21 and I am grateful that he is setting time aside to discuss what is going on, as it is all happening in his constituency.
“People are making an awful lot of money but that should come with responsibility to treat people like human beings, not just herding them into rooms and leaving them to their own devices.
“The responsibility should be shared by the hotel owners, Glasgow City Council, and the Scottish Government and I want assurances that we will do things better.”
The petition states: “Frankie died of a Valium overdose - despite not being a drug addict - while being housed in a notorious homeless hotel by Glasgow City Council earlier this year.
"I believe my son fell prey to rife drug dealing at these premises. I have been informed by various people who have lived there recently that drug dealing is openly taking place, despite the fact people are dying.
“Someone now must take responsibility for all that is going on with this situation.
"I am now demanding a full enquiry into the way these places are run & funded by the Government. The system is all wrong and something must be done about it.
“Better facilities are required to help and support the homeless and people with addictions. An investigation should be made into where this money is going and what these hotels are doing with it.”
The hotel group which owns the Queens Park has witnessed at least 23 deaths at four premises since March 2020.
The petition can be found here.
