Belfast mum pleads for garden to be secured from alley where drugs are taken

Kathleen has lived in the property for ten years and has found needles beside her children’s toys

A mum from West Belfast is pleading for her garden to be made secure from a neighbouring alley where she claims drugs are taken.

Kathleen McGranaghan has been living in her home on Lady Street in the Falls Road area for the past ten years, and is calling for a fence to be placed around her garden to block it off from the alleyway.

She first found a needle in her garden a few years ago from the alley, and since then has found more needles, drug paraphernalia, and pills in close proximity to her children’s toys. The alleygate is locked, however, the fencing around Kathleen’s house and derelict land to the rear is not secure, allowing access into the alley.

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Speaking to Belfast Live, the mum-of-five said she is frustrated by the ongoing issue, and is calling for it to be rectified so her children can play in their own back garden.

She said: “It has been going on a couple of years because the first time I rang about the first needle we saw, the Housing Executive came out, but said there’s nothing they can do about it. It was plain and simple – they said they can’t put fencing on top of fencing.

“My kids can’t go out the back, they have a trampoline, they have toys out there, but it’s unsafe for them to go out. If my younger ones go out unsupervised, they’re not going to understand, they’re just going to go over to anything and pick it up. You want your garden to be your safe space for your kids, but this just isn’t.

“We found the first needle a few years ago, then we were redoing the back last year and found another two needles beside the kids toys. We also found packets of pills around the side – the kids could just easily slip their hand down and pick them up.”

Kathleen is pleading for the issue to be taken seriously, both for her family and her neighbours. She said: “It is frustrating. We’re being told it’s locked and safe, when it’s not safe. I’ve sent over photos, but it was as if nothing was ever sent over. You’re made out to be a liar.

“The Housing Executive say neighbours haven’t said anything, but I have neighbours who have also complained a lot about it. They’re not asking the people it is actually happening to, which is frustrating.

“There are loads of kids in this street, all they want is to go and play in their gardens and in their area, which they can’t do.”

SDLP Councillor Gerard McDonald has taken Kathleen’s case up over the past few months with the Housing Executive. He said all she is asking for is for her garden to be closed off with a fence, similar to that in place at neighbouring properties.

He said they will be meeting with the Housing Executive this Thursday afternoon, October 9, and hope for steps to be put in place towards the issue being resolved.

Gerard said: “Kathleen is a ten year Housing Executive tenant who pays rent, she upholds her agreement as a tenant and all she is looking for is fencing similar to neighbours – if anything, the exact same. If it’s good enough for the neighbours on one side, we can’t understand why the Housing Executive would let their tenant down on the other side of the alleyway.

“The alleyway itself, while it’s gated, it isn’t secure as the Housing Executive land around it isn’t secured because the fencing they have put both on the back of Kathleen’s house and the derelict land behind the house, is not secure.

“Until the Housing Executive are serious about securing the land around the house and back garden, here you have a mum with five kids under 12 who doesn’t have the basic principle of allowing her children out to play in their own back garden. People should be entitled when they have a back garden to use it.”

Lisa Stitt, Housing Executive Assistant Area Manager for West Belfast, said: “We have inspected this location on multiple occasions and found no trace of any illegal activity.

“This alley is protected by alley gates and neighbours report the area is quiet. We have agreed to meet the tenant at the site to discuss any concerns they might have.”

A Belfast City Council spokesperson said: “Following the report of discarded materials at an alleyway on Lady Street, Belfast City Council Safer Neighbourhood Officers visited the area on Tuesday 7 October and spoke with residents.

“Belfast City Council has the authority to dispose of needles and drug waste in a public space or on Council land and we will do so as soon as possible, once it has been reported to us.

“Call us on 028 9027 0469 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm) or email sharps@belfastcity.gov.uk to report the location.

“The alleyway on Lady Street has also been logged by the Open Spaces and Street Team for an entry clean.”