RESIDENTS in a deprived area of Darwen are being urged to work together to help tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.

The plea comes after a fatal stabbing in the town last week - the second such incident in just over two months.

Councillors say a high number of empty properties and years of a lack of investment in the Sudell ward means residents are having to put up with drug dealing, petty theft and anti-social behaviour.

Cllr Roy Davies said he had spoken to police about the level of crime in the area.

He said: “There are a lot of drug issues in general. There is a telephone box in London Terrace which is where the main drug dealing takes place.

“The residents are in uproar about it.

“There are petty theft incidents with furniture going missing from front gardens.”

He said empty properties including former care home Highfield House are being left to be vandalised while hundreds of houses lie empty.

“It is about a holistic approach. We are not getting the investment we need. The ward has never had any money spent on it,” he said.

“There is a tremendous amount of good people wanting to make a difference in the ward, but when they go and put their bin out and it gets stolen or contaminated by people putting rubbish in it and they have to clean it out - they are giving up because they are not getting any help.

“At the moment we are not tackling these anti-social problems.

“We will only get a result when everybody in the ward works together including police, social workers, residents. Unless we all stand up the ward will go further and further down. It will be like a cowboy town.”

Cllr Davies encouraged people to report crime to the police or Crimestoppers, but acknowledged people were put off by long waits to get through on the 101 number.

Cllr Eileen Entwistle, who also represents the area, said the issues have been going on for a long time.

“It is one of the most deprived areas with a high amount of private renting and absent landlords,” she said.

“There is more of a community and people get to know each other.”