A West Lothian man says he is terrified he could be caught in a major fire in his own home as a gang of youths wreak havoc in his close.
The building, on Whitedalehead Road in Whitburn, has allegedly become a magnet for drug misuse, antisocial behaviour and wilful fire-raising, with door handles snapped off and the front door "kicked in."
The resident's sister, who does not wish to be named, says she has made several attempts to get her sibling re-located, with the situation having grown so bad that he refuses to let his children visit for their own safety, reports EdinburghLive.
She added that he fears being caught up in a major incident at the block of flats and is suffering from poor mental health as a result, meaning he is also unable to work. The family claim Police Scotland is not doing enough to ensure the wellbeing of locals.
West Lothian Council, which owns the building, has also been contacted by the woman, but efforts to get her brother situation resolved have thus far been unsuccessful.
She said: "It's a disgrace. He's trapped in that building and there's going to be a major fire soon as the youngsters have burnt the windowsills, burnt the handles off the windows and burnt their initials into the ceiling of the building.
"My wee brother has no means of getting out if there is a fire, there's no fire exit or anything. There was once a secure entry system at the main door but the whole door was kicked in and all the council did was board it up, but they can easily keep coming back.
"He has lived there about two years and this all started a year ago, it's not a nice place because there is a lot of drug involvement and there have been drug deaths linked to the building in the past, he should never have been put there.
"He's got enough points to get a house from the council but they're not interested. He was offered a move three months ago but it was in another troublesome area.
"There's three empty blocks here in Armadale and he could be down here beside his family. My brother is very clean and has OCD, but for him to live like that is disgusting.
"There's awful smells coming into the flat from the hall, they're urinating in the stairwell and he can't even hear his TV at night due to the noise.
"The police won't even attend the flat now, they came to the car park, then did a U-turn and drove away. I phone the council every week and nobody ever phones me back, I can't stress how worried I am."
The woman says the youths do not live in the block but just congregate there to create havoc. They are supposedly aged between 15-20.
She added her brother has had multiple run-ins with the group asking them to leave but has been frightened due to the uncertainty over what they could do.
A neighbour has also moved out of the block after reportedly having their windows smashed. She added: "If you take them on then you'll get hurt, which is wrong.
"You should have the police and council's backing as that's what they're there for but nobody does anything. He has young children but it is not safe to take them there.
"I went to visit him a few weeks ago and I actually slipped on the stairs as they were covered in urine. When he moved into the block he didn't realise what he was getting himself into.
"The group stand and laugh at the police coming then driving away. They've got full control and it's not right."
Inspector Brendan Mcmahon said: "On Saturday, 17 September, 2022, we were made aware of youths congregating in the Whitedalehead Road area of Bathgate, however on arrival they had dispersed.
"We will continue to deal proactively with those who engage in antisocial behaviour and crimes which have a negative impact on our community wellbeing.
"If anyone has any concerns about crime and antisocial behaviour in their community, they are urged to contact police via 101 as soon as possible so we can act when this behaviour is ongoing."
A West Lothian Council spokesperson said: "We are aware of the concerns of the tenant and have been working to support them. There have been no recent reports of anti-social behaviour reported to the Council. A Housing Officer has discussed this with the tenant and family members.
"Guidance has been provided on how to report incidents to the Council’s Safer Neighbourhood Team to allow them to investigate and take action where there is evidence to do so. The tenant has also received advice on circumstances in which they should contact Police Scotland.
"The tenant was offered rehousing in accordance with the council’s allocations policy however the tenant declined this offer. Housing Officers will continue to engage with the tenant and provide housing options and advice."
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