ANTI-social behaviour is on the rise in Whitehaven, it has emerged - as a police chief says ‘there is clearly an issue’ in the town.

Worried town centre residents gathered in Whitehaven Civic Hall to voice their concerns to police and Home Group at a public meeting organised by Josh MacAlister, the Labour candidate for Whitehaven and Workington.

They described elderly residents being ‘too scared’ to leave their homes amid drug-taking and ‘endless violence’ in properties around the town centre.

Rob Carden, chief constable for Cumbria, said there had seen a slight increase in anti-social behaviour, which was ‘at odds’ with the rest of the county, where incidents are down.

He said: “Looking at anti-social behaviour, it’s gone down over the last three years by 38 per cent across Cumbria. In terms of Whitehaven, it’s gone down by 18 per cent but it hasn’t gone down over the last 12 months.

“Anti-social behaviour has gone up slightly but it’s at odds with the rest of the force. There’s something happening in Whitehaven. There’s clearly an issue.”

A resident who lives on George Street said: “We’ve had trouble constantly for three years. It’s non-stop. Substance misuse and drug-dealing going on.

“I always said there would be a murder or a death and it’s ended in a death.

“It’s affecting me mentally and physically. They’re not vetting the people who get the flats. They’re leaving them in the flats to do what they like.”

Another worried resident who lives on Queen Street said: “My family have lived in the same house for 45 years. The last three years have been horrendous with anti-social behaviour, particularly the youth.

“Where I live, there’s a mixture of elderly people, young people, families, couples. There’s one particular building opposite where we live on Washington Square.

“There’s an elderly lady in a ground floor flat and she was moved because the young lad in the top flat was into drugs, he was going around with knives.

“I’ve never rang the police in my life and I’ve rang them five times since February.

“Home Group are putting these people in these flats who are disturbing ordinary people. As far as the police are concerned, I’m really happy but as far as Home Group, I am not.”

A resident who also lives on Queen Street, added: “There’s an old lady who lives next door to a block of flats who is scared. She won’t leave her house. She’s petrified. They assaulted her and threatened her.”

Another resident said: “I live on Scotch Street and the people they put in there are not vetted. We’ve got druggies, parties, endless violence. Our area is now called by the posher ones, ‘the zoo’. Quite rightly, as well.”

A resident who lives on Michael Street raised concerns about the supported accommodation complex on Peter Street, run by Home Group.

He said: “We are having problems with Peter Street. Police are at Peter Street two or three times a week. I understand they are trying to look after them. Sometimes they go too far.

“How many times have they got to go and lift people before they can get a handle on it?”

James Varah, operations manager at Home Group, said: “First of all, I’d like to apologise. Whether or not we feel we got it right, you guys don’t and that’s the bit that matters. I do apologise for that.

“On Peter Street, it’s a challenging scheme. The people who are in there, are people who have been in the town for a long time. Whether that’s causing anything new, I would put a question mark against it.

“The police are at Peter Street a lot. Just because the police are outside, it doesn’t mean someone is getting locked up.

“On the vetting of people, I think you’re right. Years ago, we used to do police checks on people. We can’t do that anymore because legislation has changed.

“We do not want people in our properties who are going to breach their tenancy agreement. Customers who pay their rent, keep their properties nice and clean and tidy, that’s what everybody should do.

“Going forward, I personally will be signing off every single letting. Hopefully, that gives you some reassurance.”

Mr Varah added that Home Group were taking action and currently have two addresses that are  going through the eviction process. He said there were also two live injunctions in place in the town centre.

Mr Carden said police stop and searches were up by 137 per cent in Whitehaven and a Public Space Protection Order, which had lapsed would be reinstated in the town centre in July.