Woman ‘scared to live in own home’

A DUNDEE mum says she is scared to live in her own home amid months of antisocial behaviour and drug use in her close.

Sher Grady, 23, has lived on Dens Road for two years and has found used needles, cooking spoons and materials associated with the injection of heroin in her close.

She and her partner Barry Graham, 35, fear their kids Christian, 22 months, and Sophie, 11 months, and Barry’s son Lewis, 14, are not safe.

On one occasion, Christian nearly fell on a bloodied needle at the entrance to the close, which has no secure entry.

The family have also put up with having windows battered on and people yelling outside their front door.

Sher said: “I’ve had well more than I can take now.

“I’m terrified of being in the flat alone because I never know whether someone is going to come to my door.

“Every noise has me on the edge — my poor children can’t even go outside in the back because of what they might come across. I have to look at their faces every day knowing I can’t get them away from this.” Sher said she has been left petrified after someone banged on her kitchen window one night as she was cleaning. She said: “I haven’t been in my kitchen since. “We had originally planned to give our son and daughter the back bedroom but I’m now far too scared that someone will break in whilst we are sleeping and I won’t hear them. “I’ve actually got to the point of desperation where I’ve considering just not going back and being homeless. “We have people stand right outside and screaming up to others at all hours of the night. The kids are wakened a lot. I feel as though I’m a failure as a mother for not being able to provide them with a safe place to live.”

She and Barry have made regular reports to the police and Dundee City Council regarding incidents around their home and wrote to Dundee West MP Chris Law asking for help.

Mr Law, pictured left, said he could not comment on individual cases, citing confidentiality reasons.

A Dundee City Council spokesman said: “We have investigated reports of anti-social behaviour in the area and will respond to any complaints.” Ourvoice PAGES 16&17

Sher Grady, who has found used needles and cooking spoons in her close, pictured with her 22-month-old son Christian Grady.