Police shut down drugs den that sowed fear on "lawless" estate

POLICE have shut down a drugs den after residents complained that it had turned their estate into a “lawless” nightmare.

Neighbours were terrified to go outside after addicts took over the council flat at 27 Grace Path, Sydenham, in May last year.

A local told the Lewisham Letter that users would smoke crack on the stairways, pass out and even try to sell stolen goods to residents.

When police later raided the property they found it was also being used as a shoplifting stash house – as well as a drugs den.

Although hard-working officers have now managed to shut the property – bringing much of the trouble to an end – there are still problem tenants on the estate causing issues, locals say.

One concerned resident, who was too scared to be named, blamed Lewisham Council for the chaos, arguing that the tenant at 27 Grace Path should be evicted far earlier.

They told the Lewisham Letter: “It’s been awful. It was like a hotel for drug users. It was completely lawless.

One of the "problem tenants" that locals complained about — **PICTURED: The partner of one of the “problem tenants” on the estate**

“This was a really quiet clean area before. And then this tenant started bringing all of these people around.

“It became a place where people knew they could use Class A drugs. I would take the bins out and there would be people passed out on the floor, sleeping outside.

“Some of the addicts would try to sell me alcohol and detergent that they’d stolen from the shops. I saw crack cocaine paraphernalia all around the estate and people on the stairway with glass crack pipes.

“I even saw people inside the flat heating foil up with a lighter. It made me very angry. We’re not talking about a few kids having a beer. We’re talking about Class A drugs – that’s linked to gun crime, gang crime.

“The police were amazing and did everything they could. I want to thank them for never giving up.

problem tenant — **PICTURED: The man swore at our reporter when we turned the camera on him**

“But the officers would arrest people and then have to let them go on bail – and then they would come straight back.”

The resident said they were disappointed with Lewisham Council for not dealing with the issue earlier.

They acknowledged that the tenant inside flat 27 was considered “vulnerable”, however they pointed out that the chaos that was allowed to unfold massively impacted on the mental health of residents on the estate.

The local said: “The council should have taken action at an earlier stage. As soon as it became obvious that it was being used for criminality – for drug use – they should have evicted the tenant.

“But instead they did nothing for over a year.”

**PICTURED: Police shut down the drugs den by securing closure orders**

The resident said that although things have now improved, there are still problem tenants on the estate – including one whose flat has become a new mini drugs den.

A partner of one of the problem tenants swore at our reporter when we turned the camera on him during our visit to the estate.

Sergeant Jamie Foreman and her officers, from the local safer neighbourhood team, managed to get control of the problems at flat 27 by securing two closure orders from Bromley Magistrates Court.

Her team, who worked overtime to crack down on the behaviour, made 20 arrests for breaches of the orders within the past few months.

The tenant at flat 27 has now been removed from the property and taken to alternative accommodation – and the flat was finally sealed with metal grills earlier this month.

Police Constable Ollie Lumley said the previous criminality at the flat had made residents feel unsafe.

Closure order — **PICTURED: The closure order was issued by Bromley Magistrates Court**

He told the Lewisham Letter: “We were told people were coming to the address and screaming in the early hours of the morning, using drugs in the stairwells and fighting.

“Residents didn’t want their friends or family to come over. There are people with children here and they didn’t feel safe.”

Sgt Foreman added that the flat was also being used as a “hub” for stolen goods to be stored.

She told the Lewisham Letter: “We found bottles of wine, frozen foods and Kit Kat bars just laid out on the dirty floor. It was all stuff that could be sold on quickly. We found out that a lot of it had been stolen from Tesco.”

Reflecting on her team’s success, she said: “I feel very proud of the team and for volunteering to do the overtime. This is what safer neighbourhood teams are for. And we’ve had some residents thanking us for doing this.”

Lewisham Council said it is working with the police to address the issues on the estate.

Councillor Will Cooper, the council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “We understand that residents are concerned about the situation at Grace Path.

“Please be assured that the council is working closely with the police and relevant support agencies to address these issues effectively, while prioritising everyone’s safety.

“Some of the individuals involved are vulnerable, which requires a sensitive and coordinated response.

“We encourage residents to report any anti-social behaviour directly to the police and to our housing anti social behaviour team so it can be dealt with promptly.”

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Home » News » Police shut down drugs den that sowed fear on “lawless” estate

Police shut down drugs den that sowed fear on “lawless” estate

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