Published: Thursday, 20th March, 2008 10:39am

Crack house owned by charity for homeless

by Lucy Thorne

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A CRACK house shut down by police this week belongs to a leading homeless charity.

And last night neighbours accused the Reading Single Homeless Project of moving "drug dealers and prostitutes" into their neighbourhood and making their lives a living nightmare.

Families say they have been too scared to let their children play in the street and have slammed RSHP for failing to control its tenants in the Catherine Street house in west Reading.

John Baldock, who has lived in the street for 42 years, said: "RSHP promised us they would sort it out but they have done nothing about it. They have let us down.

"My mother has lived here for 72 years and that was the worst it has been. There was drug dealing and prostitution going on and drug peddling was happening across the street from our house.

"We are all a little community and that house and its tenants have degraded the street."

Another neighbour, who would not be named, said: "It has been a complete and utter nightmare.

"There have been drug dealers and prostitutes hanging around the house and people have found needles in the alleyways.

"We have been fighting this for ages and we have been bombarding the police and RSHP."

She added: "We have now managed to get the house closed for three months and they have got to re-think who they put in there.

"Some people are down on their luck and we understand that. But we are the ones who are stuck with the problem.

"Hopefully from here on in we'll get a bit of peace. If RSHP don't sort it out we will not hesitate to go to its sponsors."

Another neighbour, who only wanted to be known as Sharon, said: "You couldn't let your kids out. There were fights, drugs and parties, you name it, it was happening there.

"I have two grandchildren aged five and two and it is a worry letting them grow up in a street where this is happening. I don't think they should have a halfway house in this street, it is a quiet area."

Police swooped on the house on Tuesday night after securing a crack house closure order from Reading magistrates.

Officers had already raided the house in January and found significant traces of Class A drugs, including cocaine, heroin and ecstasy, in all its rooms, which officers told the court were consistent with a bulk presence of these drugs and recent prolific usage.

PC Nick Girdler, Neighbourhood Specialist Officer for Oxford Road, told the court how residents described Catherine Street going from being clean and friendly to an area where children could no longer play without seeing drug deals and prostitutes plying for trade.

The house will be closed under the order for three months but residents have already vowed to fight any plans by RSHP to move in more tenants.

RSHP chief executive Ian Caren said: "RSHP regrets that the local neighbourhood has been affected by such anti-social behaviour.

"We informed the police when we became aware of the drug misuse in January. After 10 years of the house being a safe haven for people affected by homelessness, RSHP were saddened by recent events and when the eviction process dragged on we requested the closure of the property by the police.

"RSHP will continue working in partnership with the Neighbourhood Police team to increase public safety and confidence in the area."

He said RSHP has a zero tolerance drugs policy and since last month had been using security guards to enforce it.