East Lothian Courier | News | Trying to restore peace to ‘nightmare’ estate

Thursday, 20th November, 2008

Published: Thursday, 17th April, 2008 08:15

Trying to restore peace to ‘nightmare’ estate

UNDERAGE drinking and gang fights have turned the Wimpy area of east Musselburgh into “a vision of hell” according to residents.

One man, who refused to be named for fear of reprisal attacks, said that life in Macbeth Moir Avenue and Moir Avenue had become a “daily nightmare”.

He said: “This used to be a great place to stay but not any more.

“It’s been hellish for the last 12 months and I do not see an end to it.

“There are disturbances every night.

“Most nights random cars are being attacked and at the weekend there can be a lot of fighting and it’s all down to drinking.

“My wife and I have been talking about selling up and moving out after more than 10 years here.”

According to another Moir Avenue resident many of her neighbours refuse to leave their homes at night because of the threat of antisocial behaviour.

“The girl who lives next door to me comes home from work at 5pm and locks the door,” she said. “She will not come out again because there are so many youths hanging about that she feels unsafe. It’s absolutely horrendous here at the moment.”

Residents have been pressing East Lothian Council for door entry systems to the stairwells where much of the anti-social behaviour is concentrated.

Ward councillor, John Caldwell, said he sympathised with the plight of residents but warned them not to take matters into their own hands.

“One example I have heard is about kids running through the stairs urinating in the stairwell and ripping down the lights,” he said.

“Any situation where residents are put through this type of problem is unacceptable.

“It’s happening from time to time and it’s something the residents should not have to suffer, especially the elderly. No one should feel intimidated in their own home.

“As far as I’m concerned if people are being inconvenienced I would encourage them to call the police and not deal with it on their own.”

Inspector Colin Brown, said there had been a spate of disturbances in Moir Avenue during the past year but everything had quietened down in recent weeks following more regular, beefed-up police patrols.

“Over the last few months there has been a multi-agency approach with East Lothian Council’s anti-social behaviour division. We have been going on joint patrols at night and weekends,” he said.

“There has been a noticeable difference in the last three or four weeks.

“We are working with the residents to bring peace back to the estate.”

A council spokeswoman said that the properties were a mix of council and private.

And owners had to agree to contribute towards improvement work before it could progress.

“Installation of door entry systems will be carried out during April and early May in three stairs in Moir Avenue where all parties have consented,” she said.

New doors and handles had also been fitted to secure the rear of properties.

As a result of the joint patrols, action had been taken against youths caught in antisocial acts and additional activities had been set up at Musselburgh East Community Learning Centre in an effort to keep unruly kids off the streets, she added.

Comments