Young mum’s disgust after party animals dump drugs near children

Area a ‘nightmare’ for families

DISCOVERY Canisters

A YOUNG mum living a “nightmare” has told how her children have been exposed to drugs, loud partying and indecent behaviour she feels helpless to protect them from.

Catherine, who asked us not to share her second name for fear of reprisals, has rented a social home in the Holyland area of South Belfast for five years.

In that time, the 25-year-old mother to two babies and a seven-year-old says she has had to call police “well over a hundred” times and take her kids elsewhere to escape the noise.

And Catherine, like many of her neighbours, feels those with the power to change it have failed to really help.

She told the Mirror: “It’s an absolute nightmare. I have a report open on four houses in my street for being drunk and disorderly.

“My oldest wee girl is seven and she’s high risk with Covid because she’s asthmatic and has epilepsy.

“I am a key worker and it is even more scary for me going into work worried I could pass it on because of the crowds of people.

“I can’t have my kids out to play – I went out to clean my back garden and there were canisters of those balloons that they take lying about.

“I have had tablets thrown into my front garden, there was a bag of MDMA that police actually came and took away.

“They openly do it in the middle of the street and are walking around spaced out.

“Before Easter, I was bringing my child to school and she says, ‘What’s that man doing there’? He was going to the toilet through another person’s letter box.”

Because of the constant noise, loud partying and blasting music, Catherine said her family is severely sleep deprived.

She added: “It has affected my wee girl’s education because she is exhausted.

“I work five days a week as well, I am going into work exhausted.

“Every year you are going through the same battles, you’re asking the same questions and you are getting no answers.

“I am born and reared in Lower Ormeau – I should be allowed to live here in peace.”

Now she would like to see more family homes rather than HMOS and Airbnbs.

Alliance MLA Paula Bradshaw, whose support Catherine has praised, said residents feel like they are constantly going over “the same stuff ”.

She added: “Another resident emailed

me this morning and said, ‘Will you stop just going round in circles here,’ and do something about this. I can understand why they are the end of their tether.”

Following a recent review on HMOS, Ms Bradshaw says she hopes Belfast City Council will really read what tenants had to say – “and tighten up on sanctions for landlords who allow their tenants to get away with this”.

A Department for Communities spokesperson said: “Responsibility for the licensing and regulation of Houses of Multiple Occupation rests with Belfast City Council.

“Minister Hargey has set out her plans to establish a Strategic Partnership with key stakeholders, to consider the longer term actions needed.”

A Belfast City Council spokesman added: “We continue to engage with community partners to manage the area and to identify long-term solutions.”

WORRYING Pills were among items in the garden HUGE CONCERN Drugs were found in the garden SHOCK MDMA is a class A drug

DISGUSTING Condom