A distraught dad-of-two is demanding action as he claims his street is terrorised by crime and drug addicts high on monkey dust.
Melvyn Macdonald, 49, of Stoke-on-Trent, said his neighbourhood is plagued by people high on the stimulant cathinone - also known as monkey dust - who regularly smash up buildings and start fires, according to Stoke-on-Trent Live.
Mr Macdonald, who has two daughters, aged 14 and five, says he doesn't feel comfortable having them round to his flat in Goms Mill Road, in Longton, and is demanding action to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.
"It's been hell living here", said Mr Macdonald of the homes run by Sanctuary Housing.
"I live in fear at the moment and feel unsafe.
"I moved here in August 2019, but there are two properties with people who have some serious mental health issues and drug problems.
"Since I've been in this street there has been three arson attacks, every window in the flat above me has been smashed and boarded up.
“Two of the houses in the street have just one window left and all of the electricity boxes have been ripped off.
"A caravan has been set on fire in the street. A month ago someone set fire to my neighbour's roof and glass has been smashed all over the estate.”
Mr Macdonald said police knocked on his door on Friday night when he had his daughter with him to say someone had poured acid in the car park.
He said no-one knows who is coming and going from the estate, and claims to have seen drug dealers looking for their money.
"I'm worried about letting my children stay here because I'm worried something could happen”, he said.
“I have to keep them inside, especially the five-year-old because of all the glass outside.
Mr Macdonald said he moved to the property, run by Sanctuary Housing, in 2019 when he was “down-on-his luck” after separating from his partner that January.
He ended up in a Salvation Army hostel before being re-homed to Goms Mill Road.
He said he has no drug or alcohol problems of his own nor any criminal record. He attends college and has a job as a care worker, but says living in the crime-ridden area is depressing.
"There's always loud music playing and mentally it's destroyed me living here”, he said.
Mr Macdonald is demanding that Sanctuary Housing take action to make sure their tenants do not cause trouble on the street, and has sent six emails and made many phonecalls to this effect.
"I want something done about it”, he said.
“Sanctuary need to make sure the tenants they take on aren't animals.
"They say they are building a case and to keep informing them, but how much of a case do they need to build up?
"Will this go on until someone gets knifed?”
Mr Macdonald has refused offers to move to other Sanctuary accommodation.
Sanctuary Housing said it takes reports of anti-social behaviour “extremely seriously” and has taken “robust, decisive action” against people offending.
A spokesperson said: "We are taking legal action to secure a number of properties and while Covid restrictions mean the formal process has been moving more slowly than normal, we are confident the work being done by our local staff has already had a positive effect.”
They added: "We would remind any residents who have concerns about anti-social behaviour or criminality of any sort to continue to report them to us and the police immediately, giving as much detail as possible, so the incidents can be properly investigated.”
