‘OUR LIVES ARE BEING MADE HELL’
Residents want trouble tenants evicted from flats
FRIGHTENED residents are demanding action to tackle ‘nightmare’ tenants at their flats complex.
They say one of the tenants is high on monkey dust, constantly shouting and has previously threatened to ‘slit’ a woman’s throat.
The problems have been reported at Stoneyfields Court, in Newcastle, for a number of months.
Now residents have accused Staffordshire Housing Association (SHA) of not doing enough to try to solve the problem.
Tenant Paul Hilton says some of his female neighbours are ‘prisoners in their own homes’ because they are so frightened.
The 59-year-old said: “I can’t sleep because I’m worried about the ladies who have been threatened. The ladies are too scared to go out of their flats, they are prisoners in their own homes.
“You can hear the shouting from miles away, it’s relentless, and goes on for 12 hours throughout the night. Our lives are being made hell and no-one is evicted - but if any of us got a dog, they’d evict us straightaway.
“I question what background checks are made on tenants. The average age of people living here is 50, so why put in much younger people who do not fit in with the community here? It was nice, peaceful and quiet before.”
One tenant has told how she lost her warehouse job after struggling to sleep because of the anti-social behaviour.
She said: “I’ve been told my throat was going to be slit. I’ve been on anti-depressants because of it. I feel like locking my flat up and not leaving.
“But I love my property so why should I give it up? I sit inside my house in silence with the door locked. Sometimes I have to go and sit with my neighbour to feel safer. I’m living in hell.”
Twenty concerned residents last month attended a meeting with Stoke-based charity Arch, SHA and Staffordshire Police.
SHA director Tim Sheail said: “We are aware of ongoing issues concerning anti-social behaviour involving residents at Stoneyfields Court. We have listened to affected residents and held a joint meeting with residents and the police to support residents and agree ways to resolve the situation.
“This is a complicated situation, involving vulnerable people and support agencies, and we have a duty of care and confidentiality to all involved. We regret the impact the anti-social behaviour has had and we are confident that this will resolved by the end of November.” Picture: Steve Bould