TERROR OF BROTHELS DRUGS & GANGS
People living in fear of their lives in Ayr
Terrorised tenants living in fear are calling for action to tackle out- of- control gangs, drug dealers and brothels in Ayr.
Neighbours in North Wallacetoun, South Wallacetoun, Whitletts and Lochside say their lives are being made a misery by violence and anti- social behaviour.
Some of the anti- social behaviour that have families at their wits’ end includes: drug dealing in the street; dealers intimidating terrified residents;
flats being sublet and used as brothels;
a woman getting a petrol bomb hurled through the window;
a woman getting a petrol bomb hurled through the window ;
Polish residents being subjected to racist abuse Ayr North Tory councillor Ian Davis, said: “I heard case of a Molotov cocktail being thrown at a window because a woman saw something.”
Fed- up residents were this week calling for action to tackle out- ofcontrol gangs, drug dealers and brothels in the north of Ayr.
Neighbours in North Wallcetoun, South Wallacetoun, Whittlets and Lochside claim they are living in fear of intimidation, violence and anti- social behaviour.
Some of the anti- social behaviour that have families at their wits’ end includes: open drug dealing in the street; drug dealers intimidating terrified residents; flats being sublet and used as brothels; a woman getting a petrol bomb hurled through the window of her home; boys as young as six setting fire to closes Polish residents being subjected to racist abuse
Ayr North Tory councillor Ian Davis said people feel alienated and don’t trust police and the council.
He said: “I heard a case of a Molotov cocktail being thrown at a window because a woman saw something. Her door was knocked down and she was threatened. People are too scared to go to the police. They would be seen as ‘ a grass’ and fear the consequences that could follow.”
The issues were discussed at length at last Tuesday’s Newton and Heathfield Community Council meeting.
One resident told of her “living hell” in South Wallacetoun for five years and half years before the council moved her out of the area. She said: “My doctor said to me if I didn’t move out I was not going to be here and I didn’t know how ill I was.
“I have known people who have died from this stress of life. Your life is at stake. It is a serious problem and nobody seems to do anything.
“In South Wallacetoun, it is not just drugs, it is the brothels.
“I reported it all as I was supposed to do but nothing ever happened.
“All the drug dealing and deliveries were seen in the open. They would take their orders on a Wednesday and deliver them on a Thursday.”
Councillor Davis said that North Wallacetown and South Wallacetoun had some of the worst deprivation in Scotland and he raised concerns about the security entry to a block of flats in Duke Terrace.
He said: “Most people in Scotland think Ayr is an affluent area like Alloway and Seafield but it has the eighth most deprived place in Scotland – and most of that is in north Ayr “There tends to be criminal problems. “Drug dealers go into closes and intimidate residents. I received a complaint that the whole window of the security door was cut on in Russell Drive so that people could get in and out.”
And the community council heard that there were similar issues of anti- social behaviour in Russell Drive and James Brown Avenue.
One resident said there was a high turnover of sub- lets where girls were moved into flats to be exploited in the sex trade.
The meeting heard how the police and council were aware of this and were looking to tackle the issue .
And concerns were raised that some private landlords were renting out to undesirables and didn’t care who the tenants were.
One community said that when she was delivering food parcels in certain areas, they always delivered in twos.
Councillor Davis said: “I hear about issues in North Wallacetoun nearly every day and it is related to security, people just don’t feel safe. There is a lot of nice people living here.
“But there is hate crime. In North Wallacetown, Polish people are subjected to abuse and don’t feel comfortable living there anymore.
“It is not just adults. There are videos of the abuse and it is from kids aged six, seven and eight who are being egged on by their parents.”
One community councillor said security doors are being broken just after being fixed.
He said: “Boys who are 6 and 7 are continually setting fires to the close next door to me.
“One family moved away and that’s the only way the abuse stopped.”
“My life in South Wallacetoun was five police cars sitting outside and three vans taking people away.”
Councillor Davis claimed some neighbours told him they didn’t trust the police. He said: “You have the police station next door to some residents and people still don’t feel safe.
“People can see the police station outside their window and they still don’t feel secure where they are living.”