Gosport tower block 'plagued' by drug users who shoot up and defecate in stairwell

Residents at Blake Court in South Street, Gosport, are being plagued by drug addicts who are breaking into their building on a nightly basis to take a plethora of drugs.

Syringes, used needles and metal bowls are being left in the stairwells, alongside human waste.

Now, locals are calling upon police to take action as they reach their wits’ end with the problems.

Peter Maguire, who lives in the tower block, says residents are terrified to leave their apartments at night.

He said: ‘They come in by breaking the lock with a screwdriver, then sit in the stairwell shooting up all night long.

‘Once they’re high on whatever it is they’re taking, they can be quite aggressive.

‘Even if people want to go out for some fresh air, they stay indoors so they don’t have to confront these people.’

Mr Maguire says users are often entering the apartment block in pairs.

While some leave after a period of time, others have still been there at sunrise.

But drug abuse hasn’t been the only issue.

He said: ‘Sometimes they end up staying the night.

‘They’ve even started defecating in the stairwell and leaving it on the floor.

‘Again, us residents are left to clear up the mess.’

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A spokesman from Hampshire Constabulary told The News that police do know about the problems residents face.

He said: ‘We are aware of the issues at Blake Court, and continue to encourage people to report all incidents of drug supply and drug-related activity to us.

‘You may not see enforcement action right away, but there will be a lot of work ongoing behind the scenes to develop a picture of the problem and the areas affected.

‘There is a strong link between drugs and violence, and we have made significant efforts to understand the impact of those involved in county lines on violence and other crime that spills into our neighbourhoods.’

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 – in an emergency, dial 999.

A spokeswoman from Hyde Group, which runs the block, said: ‘Wherever there are reports of criminal activity and anti-social behaviour, Hyde works collaboratively with the neighbourhood policing team and the local authority to gather any information and evidence that will support appropriate enforcement action and help ensure local residents feel safe.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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