Why not send more criminals to our housing estate?

16 May 2007

DRUG dealers have already blighted our homes why don't housing officers send us more serious offenders?"

That's the angry message Roy Bish, of Pawleyne Close, Penge, left with housing staff after he discovered police had once again raided a flat in Goudhurst House at 6.30am last Friday using sniffer dogs and found two bags of cannabis.

The tenant living in the flat, who was not present at the time, has received a formal warning but was not arrested because the quantity of drugs found was small.

This is the latest in a string of drug-fuelled problems on the estate.

Mr Bish claims there have been five dealers living in the block of 11 flats at various times in recent years.

He said: "It's Bromley dumping it on the housing association. I told housing staff 'do you think it's possible that you could give us some terrorists or murderers because we're fed up with drug dealers?'

"We're being let down, the decent neighbours are being let down."

The resident wants tough action taken against dealers, including issuing eviction notices which can trigger criminals to leave the area before the housing case comes to court.

In 2004, residents rejoiced when a drug dealer was thrown out of the flats, after enduring used needles littered everywhere as well as intimidation, drugs deals and excessive noise. The 27-year-old, a registered drug user, was housed next door to a 94-year-old woman. Tenants say they could not have visitors to the flats because their friends and family were too scared to come forward.

A spokesman for Broomleigh said staff work with Bromley Community Safety Partnership and issue six-month starter tenancies for new residents so they are, effectively, on probation.

They added: "We do take these allegations and situations seriously and work closely with our residents. However, there are legal processes that we have to go through."

Broomleigh staff works with council workers to house people in need in the borough. They aim to create 'mixed communities' rather than segregating different age groups, although there are some flats that are specifically for older people.

Bromley police have an information share agreement with Broomleigh so that housing association staff can check details of any crimes committed on their premises. They can also verify whether tenants have criminal records, and police say the association does make use of the service.

Officers have also staged drug crackdowns at pubs and transport hubs and raided homes, and the Safer Neighbourhood team has placed drug supply at the top of its agenda.

A spokesman for Bromley council said: "We understand Broomleigh Housing Association are working closely with the police regarding their investigations and it would, therefore, not be appropriate for the council to comment at this stage."

margaret.davis@archant.co.uk