Manchester's sordid drugs trade was laid bare in a shocking court case in which two dealers were jailed.
Parents removed their children from a nursery and were worried about taking them to the park because of addicts 'scoring' and injecting themselves nearby.
The revelations were disclosed at a sentencing hearing where two dealers, Matthew Winward, 20, and Carl Loftus, 24, were jailed for their part supplying drugs around the city centre and Ancoats.
Police launched Operation Strike and deployed two undercover officers to embed themselves within the drugs scene after concerns about the 'overt' nature of dealing were raised by residents.
They told police that they don't let their children play in the park because 'users are scoring drugs there'.
Parents were also taking their children out of a nearby nursery because 'users are injecting in the vicinity'.
There was also concerns about discarded needles, and associated crime including cars being broken into, prosecutor Simone Flynn said.
Manchester Crown Court heard that charities, church groups and residents associations have 'done their best' but are 'gravely concerned' about the issue.
Read more of today's top stories
The two undercover officers disguised themselves as addicts and began trying to find the numbers of drug dealers, before arranging to buy drugs.
After setting the trap, the officers would catch the dealers red handed using hidden cameras.
Winward was involved in three deals in November 2017, all in broad daylight.
On November 10, at about noon the undercover officer called the drugs line number.
They were first told to go to Tesco Express on Deansgate, then to Parsonage Gardens at the back of House of Fraser.
There Winward sold the officer two bags of heroin for £10.
Man left with fractured eye socket after being attacked during Drake concert at Manchester Arena
Three days later, on November 13, at about 11.30am, the officer was told to go to an alleyway near San Carlo off Deansgate.
Winward was spooked after seeing a police officer, so redirected them to Parsonage Gardens again, where the officer bought two bags of heroin.
Then on November 15, at about 11.25am, the officer was again told to go to Parsonage Gardens to collect the drugs.
The officer was met by a group of about 12 to 15 users waiting to buy drugs.
After arriving, Winward shouted: "Right, all of you line up against that f****** wall now."
He collected all of the money, while another man gave out the drugs, giving the undercover officer another two bags of heroin.
Loftus also supplied the undercover officer with two bags of heroin, on November 9 at about 2.15pm.
Both have previous convictions for drug dealing.
Winward, of Addington Close, Blackley, was caught in a similar undercover police sting targeting dealing in Cheetham Hill and Crumpsall.
He is already serving a 40 month sentence for supplying cocaine and heroin, and a separate offence of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Loftus, of Brenley Walk, Harpurhey is also still serving a 42 month jail term for possession of heroin with intent to supply, and possession of criminal property.
His home was found to contain five wraps of heroin, a debtors list and just over £4,500.
Defending, Mark Rhind said of Winward: "With respect to him, he was young and stupid.
"He committed these offences in no doubt what he thought was an easy way to make money, and he is now paying the price for that."
Representing Loftus, Chloe Fordham said the low value deals 'give a flavour of his role' in the operation.
Loftus was 'dispensable', and 'one of a number of people performing a low level role', according to his barrister.
Judge Elizabeth Nicholls sentenced Winward to another 12 months in prison, and Loftus to another 10 months.
Sentencing, the judge said: "Local residents in the city centre had called the police about the overt scale of drug dealing and drug use within their area.
"This had a real impact upon the community.
"It meant that a number of people had to witness this sordid trade.
"The use of drugs within the city centre was highly visible within residential areas, near a children's nursery, near restaurants and other work places."
Winward pleaded guilty to three counts of supplying class A drugs, while Loftus pleaded guilty to one count of the same offence.
