Shining a light on villages’ ‘hidden’ drugs problem

The picturesque East Neuk is battling an illicit drugs problem that threatens to become endemic, a politician has claimed.

Independent councillor Linda Holt said the quaint villages, popular with holidaymakers, are home to a hidden drugs issue involving a network of families and community members.

The dealing of heroin and other drugs has led to several “horrible” incidents, including a car being set on fire and nearly exploding in a residential street in Anstruther in July.

Ms Holt said the problem was rarely talked about openly as people feared giving the area a bad name.

She added, however: “If we don’t draw attention to it, we won’t get anything done.”

Police say gathering enough intelligence to prosecute those involved has proved challenging because of the close-knit nature of communities.

Officers based in the coastal villages have been working to break down barriers and improve communication links with the public.

The approach is yielding results, with four drug warrants executed in the last 19 months and a man charged with supply offences over an eightmonth period.

Four other men were also charged for separate drug offences.

The previous year, prosecutions for the supply, production and cultivation of drugs increased from three to 20.

North-east Fife’s Chief Inspector Brian Poole said: “This has been vital in disrupting drug dealing activity in the East Neuk.”

Ms Holt has commended police and said councillors are doing all they can to help.

“Despite the work members have done with police, we have got a continuing drugs problem which threatens to become endemic, as it is in other parts of Fife, because there are certain families and networks,” she said.

“Drug dealers and users are also often the ones who are anti-social neighbours and that has been a problem that we’re trying to deal with.

“There simply isn’ t enough resources to get properly on top of it.”

Mr Poole said drug dealing and its effect on the community dominated local interaction with the police.

“The problem we do have is around the quality and quantity of intelligence we require to take executive action, such as the execution of a warrant by a sheriff,” he added.

“That’s a big challenge and we need the buy-in of the community to do that.”

East Neuk councillors and senior police will meet to further discuss the issue and the approaches being taken to deal with it.

WARNING: Councillor Linda Holt fears the East Neuk’s drug issues could become endemic. Picture by Steve Brown.