'Action needed on anti-social behaviour in council homes' - Your Letters: December 30

ACT ON DRUGS IN COUNCIL HOMES

As a former Councillor and MEP I still get people asking me for help with issues, which is normal for anyone who has been reasonably well known in politics.

Recently I have been trying to help with a spate of issues concerning drug taking and the associated consequences in council houses. Obviously not only is this illegal and against tenancy contracts but can be distressing for the neighbours.

You would imagine that this might be a relatively simple matter especially when senior elected councillors have stated that they do not want people abusing drugs in council properties.

However it has opened my eyes to the extent that at least some council officers believe they are a law unto themselves, these unelected civil servants appear to be making major policy decisions on the hoof and ignoring their elected councillors.

I have been involved in several meetings where I have been told that council officers believe that drug taking is now endemic and a sign of changing social norms.

Even worse than this the council officers appear to have dismissed the concerns of concerned neighbours and actively supported the continued tenancy of people abusing illegal drugs.

I have worked with tenants who have ended up having to speak with two separate housing officers, an enforcement officer and an arbitration specialist with absolutely no results. Not only is this a costly waste of time and money but it is symptomatic of a bureaucracy out of control.

In one case, neighbours were told that council officers would no longer deal with drug related issues and they should phone 101 for the police. The distressed neighbour called the number no less than seven times without anyone answering. Obviously, this is not the council's fault but it adds to the feeling of decent people being abandoned.