The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Anarchy on Ryder Landlord disputes
Come September the eyes of the world will be on Gleneagles as Europe and America’s top golfers gather to contest the Ryder Cup. But nearby Auchterarder has some dark secrets
AS THE golfing world descends on Gleneagles, a leafy street just a short walk away will be suffering at the hands of dangerous nuisance neighbours.
Residents of John Law Court in Auchterarder claim to have witnessed a catalogue of drug-taking, suspected prostitution, brutal assaults and late-night parties since 2011.
It is understood most incidents are connected to a handful of addressess occupied by known heroin users and even a convicted killer.
Even more galling is that the newbuild flats are five steps across the road from the town’s police station, which had its front counter access removed in March as part of Police Scotland reforms.
Locals have dubbed the Caledonia Housing development “Outlaw Court” due to the frequency of police attendances to the area, only a short distance from the £1 million luxury homes of Queen’s Crescent at Gleneagles.
One neighbour said he had recently witnessed three men attacking a resident over a neighbourhood dispute.
“They battered him one night,” said the man, who asked not to be named. “He had been out for a drink with his friends and it was dark, so they hid between cars and jumped him. “They put him in hospital. “Just about every day the police are up here and it’s usually the same place they go to.”
A local father also claimed the majority of the problems stem from only one or two addresses in the small cul-de-sac.
“There was a fight outside my house,” he said. “A woman was bleeding and there was a broken bottle smashed by the bin. The police are called out quite often here.”
Exasperated neighbours have reported the continuous anti-social behaviour to the housing association numerous times over the past three years.
One mother said officials had asked her to film incidents to provide proof to back up the claims.
“They are not doing anything about it,” said the woman, who was too frightened to be named. “This street has become wellknown now for the wrong reasons.
“My children know the police by sight because it is so bad. The whole street is sick of it.”
She added: “The main problems come from just one flat. She brings in crowds and they make a lot of noise by trying to get into her house.”
Caledonia’s Operations Director Tim Calderbank said: “We cannot routinely comment on individual cases. If a tenant raises a concern relating to a potential breach of a tenancy agreement we will investigate robustly and take the appropriate action.
“However, if residents have concerns that a tenant is breaking the law or engaging in illegal activities they should report these issues to the Police who are responsible for investigating and prosecuting these matters.
“The Police will keep the Association informed about their investigation and any findings. The Association will consider taking action for a breach of the tenancy agreement if the Police investigation results in a criminal prosecution.”
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Officers from Police Scotland carry out regular visits to addresses in communities and patrol areas throughout Tayside to provide reassurance and to keep people safe.
“Anti-social behaviour is always taken seriously and officers work closely with partners as they are acutely aware of the upset that any form of such behaviour can have within a community.”