'At night it's just wild...all the crackheads come out'

RESIDENTS OF ESTATE SHUT DOWN BY POLICE REVEAL THEY ARE SCARED TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES AFTER DARK

- GEORGE LYTHGOE

FEAR is in the air on a troubled Rochdale estate where drastic measures have been taken.

Police this week announced they were shutting down the entire Freehold estate, banning anyone other than residents from accessing the 19 blocks of flats in an extraordinary measure.

The closure order, in place for three months, comes amid a litany of reports of crime rocking the area, with drug-dealing rife and residents having to walk past people 'doing their business in the stairwells!

The estate came to national prominence last year as the scene of an unthinkable tragedy when two-yearold Awaab Ishak died in one of its flats following prolonged exposure to mould. But since then, crime has surged with a targeted GMP operation, named Affect, shutting down drug dens and arresting dozens of suspects.

However, despite the police action, residents on the estate still say crime is ongoing - with some too scared to leave their doors at night.

Susan Hurn is one of those residents who feels tormented at the hands of the gangs on the estate. The 57-year-old, who has lived in the Shirburn block for 14 years, said everything is quiet during the day but as soon as the sun goes down, trouble comes out.

"I've lived in the same flat for 14 years and I'm afraid to go out at night," Susan told the M.E.N. "You have to walk past them doing their drugs, swearing and they're even doing their business on the stairwells (using them as toilets).

"Before it wasn't too bad because it was family oriented, but there is no green space anymore. I'm scared of leaving the flat, especially at night. I'm 57, I shouldn't have to be worrying about that.

"During the day, it's not too bad, but as soon as it gets dark - that's when it all starts. Even the police don't get out of their cars when they come here, that's how bad it is."