I AM writing in response to your article in last week's Citizen (25/6/98) about neighbours from hell in the West End of Morecambe, 'Police War On Bad Neighbours.'

Far from residents in the area not doing enough to help the police, as Sgt John Fawcett states, I feel that the police are not doing enough to help the good people of the West End.

Last summer residents in and around Clarence Street had a pretty rough time from vandalism and disturbances caused by gangs of youngsters running wild, especially in the long summer holiday period.

It was very bad but despite repeated attempts I could not get any kind of adequate response from the police and eventually the MP had to get involved. I found that it is very difficult to complain against the police, although I did try at the time. As residents and shopkeepers know the problems are caused by certain families and when they are removed (as did happen with two families last year) the disturbances go with them. The council should do more with these families when they are on council estates rather than just kicking them off and leaving the West End to take all the aggravation. Indeed one family who were housed on a council estate last year have since returned. A big part of this appalling situation is caused by shark landlords. With housing benefit pitched at £60 or £70 per week it is worthwhile the sharks picking up down at heel properties, tarting them up and a, few weeks later, letting to problem families and creaming the rent. Without these high benefit payments, the property speculation would dry up tomorrow. In effect they are doing the council's job of re-housing, but whereas the council can deal with difficult tenants the private landlords couldn't care less how they behave as long as the rents flow in.

Concerned

West End

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