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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Adam Dutton & James Connell & Chiara Fiorillo

'We live next to UK's darkest car park with drug dealing and doggers having romps'

Fed-up residents believe they are living next to Britain's darkest city car park where they say they regularly see dealers selling drugs and couples having sex in their cars.

Locals living at Snowshill Close in Warndon, Worcester, say they are kept up at night by the sound of people having steamy romps in their vehicles.

Other nights the pitch-black car park at the apartment block is "turned into a nightclub" with people playing loud music and dealing drugs from their cars.

Fuming tenants say the area has become a hotspot for antisocial behaviour and dogging, which has made their lives a living hell over the last two years.

They have raised concerns with Platform Housing, the housing association providers which owns the car park, and West Mercia Police, but say that nothing has changed so far.

Residents living in Snowshill Close say the car park turns into a nightclub at night (Emma Trimble / SWNS)

Residents say the car park is so black at night that they struggle to even find the locks on their cars and just want lighting installed to tackle the problem.

Barbara Bendall, 53, said: "We just want some light in our car park. It's alright now but when winter starts - and at night - there is no light."

She added that a lamppost which provided illumination was previously removed to make way for a bigger car park and bungalows.

Another resident, who did not wish to be named, added: "They have plunged us into complete darkness and it doesn't feel safe around here at night.

Residents think they live next to Britain's darkest city car park (Emma Trimble / SWNS)

"We've got both doggers and couple's who don't live here having sex right outside our front doors, people selling cannabis from their cars and playing loud music.

"It's got to be one of the darkest car parks in a city anywhere. This area would be brightly lit anywhere else. You can hardly see one foot in front of the other."

Another resident said during the day the car park was used for parking by parents and teachers from St Joseph's Catholic Primary School.

She says sometimes she has waited over an hour for a parking space outside her home after a 12-hour shift.

The car park has become a magnet for drug dealers and couples having sex in their car (Emma Trimble / SWNS)

She added: "It should be a residents-only car park. At night it's like a nightclub. We have doors slamming and drug dealing going on, music playing.

"How do I know somebody is not going to jump me, it's so dark? What about safety and security? That's got to be paramount.

"You can smell the drugs all hours of the day.

"Doggers are also using our car park. We don't want any dogging in our car park. It's happened at least twice.

"I could hear them having sex. My window was open."

Fuming tenants say the area has become a hotspot for antisocial behaviour (Emma Trimble / SWNS)

Another resident Kevin Bendall, 27, said he had seen cars abandoned for three to four months on end and drug dealing as recently as Sunday night (14/5).

Warndon city councillor Jill Desayrah said she met with residents to discuss solutions such as illuminated bollards, residents-only parking and an entrance gate.

She said: "I was truly shocked to hear of the extent of the antisocial behaviour that has accrued since the lights have gone including claims by residents of drug dealing and dogging.

"I have already raised it this morning with Platform Housing and I will follow up with them to address the lack of lighting security at this private car park."

Residents have raised concerns with Platform Housing (Emma Trimble / SWNS)

A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: "We're aware of concerns from residents of Snowshill Close in Warndon around anti-social behaviour and drug use.

"We're continuing to work with our partners, including Platform Housing, to address these issues.

"Anyone who witnesses anti-social behaviour should report it to the police via the ‘tell us about’ section of our website or by phoning 101."

The situation has made people's lives a living hell over the last two years (Emma Trimble / SWNS)

A spokesperson for Platform Housing said the pathways and roads are not owned or managed by them.

Their statement added: "This area is lived in by our customers and owner occupiers and therefore a gate or barrier to the car park wouldn’t be feasible as it cannot be managed effectively.

"If residents are witnessing dogging and drug dealing, we would advise them to report this to the police for them to take relevant action on."

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