Car park rowdies making lives of residents a misery (From Echo)

Car park rowdies making lives of residents a misery

4:00pm Tuesday 16th March 2010 in

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RESIDENTS living near a dilapidated multi-storey car park are being forced to call the police every night because of antisocial behaviour.

The gates are being left open 24 hours a day at the run-down Farringdon car park, in Elmer Approach, making it a haven for night-time yobs.

Large groups of youngsters gather there to smoke cannabis, scrawl graffiti on the walls, and screech around in their cars at all hours.

Frustrated resident Linda Duffort is unable to sleep because of the noise every night and has had to move to a room at the back of her house.

She said: “I have to phone the police every night. The cars with their souped-up engines race round and round, up and down.

“Then you get all the music blaring out with the doors of their hatchbacks open.”

She has written repeatedly to the council about the problem, but also decided to raise the issue at a meeting of the Milton ward Neighbourhood Action Panel in the hope action would be taken.

She wants the upper floors to be closed off at night as she never sees more than eight cars parked there past 10pm anyway.

Mrs Duffort, 64, said the police had been marvellous as they always respond to her calls promptly, but the cars soon come back.

She said: “The only time the yobs stayed away for a few nights was after someone was given a Section 59 order where their vehicle was confiscated.”

The building has been allowed to fall into disrepair in recent years as it is soon due to be knocked down as part of a town centre regeneration plan. The council is planning to replace it with a new library between 2012 and 2014 as part of plans to spruce up the area.

Nigel Folkard, Tory councillor for Milton ward, said he had spoken with council officers to arrange a meeting with officials to discuss the issues.

He said: “We will be bringing these items forward and I think that’s the only item on the agenda.”