Slashed car tyres, recreational drug use and dog fouling: How anti-social behaviour on a Mirfield street is making life 'unbearable' for residents

Susan Grayson, who has lived with her husband at Bankfield Court, Mirfield, for the past five years, attended this week’s meeting of Kirklees Council and shared her experiences.

She detailed incidents of car tyres being slashed, recreational drug use and dog fouling, all of which she says cause her stress and anxiety.

Previously, the properties had an age restriction and housed those of retirement age. However, the age designation is no longer in place, which Ms Grayson says has negatively impacted her life and that of her husband.

She urged the council to reintroduce the age restriction condition.

She said: “We are both 70 years old. My husband has physical disabilities brought on by injuries sustained whilst in HM forces and in later years, PTSD reared its ugly head.

"I have medical problems also being made worse by the stress and anxiety caused by the tenants and get bouts of depression frequently.

“The tenants causing the anti-social behaviour are not communicating with any authorities who attempt to contact them.

"We have had the housing officer talk to us on many occasions, anti-social behaviour team giving us advice on how to deal with things.

"The noise monitoring team has had equipment in three times and concluded, basically, it’s their lifestyle which is not compatible with the flats and us as elderly, unwell, and very depressed people.

“And the dog fouling which has been addressed with the appropriate authority and action is being taken as they do not clean up after their dog and the fouling is right under my bedroom window.

"Night time is the worst as the tenants do not adhere to what are usual night time activities – the banging of doors, constant shouting and swearing.

“Our ceiling vibrates with the banging around and my bedroom window rattles every time they open and close their outside door. They are in and out, up and down the stairs at all hours of the night.

“Sometimes I cannot sleep even with sleep aids and earplugs so I have to resort to sitting in the kitchen as it is the quietest place in the flat when they are active.

"They also have put graffiti on the outside brickwork and the path to their flat, leaving household rubbish outside their door and sometimes when their waste bin is full, they put rubbish in other tenants’ bins.”

She said the police have been involved on a number of occasions and how a party held in summer led to car tyres being slashed and a group of people congregating outside of her bedroom window, which she found intimidating.

She added that recreational drugs could be smelt from outside of the flats.

Coun Cathy Scott, cabinet member for housing and democracy, said: “I have been in contact with these tenants as soon as I found out about this.

"There are currently officers and partners working together. There’s an ongoing investigation.”