Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
HIGH-RISE HELL
A man lies comatose on a Coatbridge stairwell with drug paraphernalia scattered around him. This shocking image was taken by a young mother and resident sickened by the ongoing drug abuse issues in her tower block... however North Lanarkshire Council insi
A brave young Coatbridge mum has hit out over the “living hell” drug users have created in the tower block where she lives with her baby daughter by using it as a “shooting gallery”.
Outraged Margaret Reilly, 24, says finding drug paraphernalia in the stairwells and corridors of Merryston Court is a daily occurrence.
And not only is the 24-year-old forced to avoid items such as needles, spoons and drug residue – she also has to step over the comatosed addicts who use them.
Margaret, who has lived in the tower block for three years, fears for her safety and that of five- monthold daughter Ruby.
However, Nor th Lanarkshire Council’s head of housing solutions says “regular inspections” have found no evidence of “drug- related materials”.
A Coatbridge mum says finding comatose drug addicts in the tower block where she lives has become a “daily occurrence”.
Margaret Reilly, 24, lives in Merryston Court with her fivemonth-old daughter Ruby.
But she is desperate to leave the building and settle elsewhere due to the disgusting and dangerous conditions she says she and other residents are forced to deal with.
Margaret claimed it is common to find passed-out addicts in the building with paraphernalia such as needles, spoons and residue scattered around them.
She insists she has told North Lanarkshire Council about her concerns, which are shared by neighbours.
But she is scared somebody will come to harm before anything is done about it.
She told the Advertiser: “I don’t know why but over the last six months there have been so many drug addicts using this building.
“There are now daily incidents where I and other residents are witnessing people injecting and smoking drugs and then lying passed-out on the stairwells.
“They then leave their dirty needles and other items lying around and urinate all over the stairwells where I walk with my daughter.
“I’ve reported this on numerous occasions to North Lanarkshire Council but I’ve been told unless my daughter or I are specifically targeted then they can’t intervene.
“They seem willing to wait until somebody comes to harm from this before they do anything.
“My landing has been smashed up on many occasions, leaving broken glass and blood all over the floor. All it takes is for us to slip, trip, be spat on or have a needle thrown at us.
“I shout and bawl at them to leave but they’re back the next day.”
Margaret claims the ongoing issue could be easily resolved.
She said: “There is a buzzer system to gain entry to the building so either somebody is letting them in or they are waiting until somebody leaves and they catch the door before it closes.
“It’s too easy to get in and around the property. The gates at the back of the building are open 24 hours a day.
“Surely the council can at least take care of a gate.”
Margaret says her requests to be rehoused elsewhere have been refused but insisted: “I’m not prepared to bring my daughter up in a place like this.
“I’d rather live in a tent than do that. It’s a living hell. These people using our building to shoot up drugs are completely out of order but so is North Lanarkshire Council for not even trying to put an end to it.”
Stephen Llewellyn, the council’s head of housing solutions, said: “We carry out regular inspections at Merryston Court and the standard of cleanliness at this tower is of a high standard for residents.
“There have been no syringes, blood or other drug- related materials found.
“Where isolated incidents of litter have been reported our officers have and will continue to take immediate action.”
Inspector Louise Brownlie said: “Monklands police would urge members of the public to contact police to report all types of anti-social behaviour, including drug misuse, to both police and North Lanarkshire Council.”