Let’s stop the looting

Houses are being raided because the council refuses to put locks on back doors.

That was the claim by George Neillie of Paisley.

In March 1981, he had collected about 50 signatures for a petition demanding that proper locks be fitted to the doors at the rear of closes.

He told the Express: “My house and several around me were broken into, and everybody is getting very uptight about it.

“People go out and don’t know what to expect when they return.

“And one woman even had her house burgled while she was asleep in bed.”

Mr Neillie, of Westburn Avenue, said he fitted a lock to his close door – and the council removed it because it was a fire hazard.

He explained: “The people who are doing these break-ins are coming in though back courts and then forcing open the doors.

“The council have got to do something about it.”

He claimed people had given up their houses and moved elsewhere because of the problem.

But a council spokesman said the lock was removed because only Mr Neillie had the key.

The spokesman said: “Tenants wishing to go out the back had to ask him for the key.

“That is obviously an unacceptable situation.”

The spokesman added that there was no objection to a sliding bolt being fitted.