A DUNDEE mum-of-two today told how her family is being terrorised by squatters in her close.
Laura Colligan, 23, of Mid Craigie, says there is anti-social behaviour at all times of the day and community safety wardens have had to come out to pick up “bucket-loads” of used needles from the tenement on Happyhillock Road.
She suffers from stress and anxiety after a stroke last year and she fears for the safety of her five-month-old baby Riley and two-year-old Ryan, who live with her alongside partner Ryan Stewart, 28.
She has called the police on numerous occasions and now is asking for the council to rehome her.
Laura said: “There’s been two people squatting in my close.
“They have been there since December 28 and there are needles all over the close.
“The community wardens have had to pick up needles all the time. They get bucket-loads of them.
“The people are chapping at my door constantly and you hear them screaming in the close at night.
“They were living in the washing room where we hang up our clothes to dry — they had two couches in there and even little units, although those have been removed.
“We call the police out all the time but the people just wait until the officers have gone and then they come back again. We have security doors but other people living here keep letting them in.
“My two-year-old runs around the place, so I’m terrified something will happen to him.
“I jump for my life every time, someone knocks on the door and I suffer from stress and anxiety.
“I took a stroke last February too, so this is the last thing I need at the moment.”
Laura has called in the support of local councillor Lesley Brennan, who visited the tenement this week.
Councillor Brennan said: “It was pretty disgusting and you wouldn’t expect people to live like that. I would like to see the council’s Anti-Social Behaviour Team have a bit more power to do things. Laura has a young family living there and they are quite fearful, so I would like to see them moved.”
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “We have received two reports of anti-social behaviour at an address in Happyhillock Road, Dundee. On both occasions, there was no trace of any persons on police arrival. Anti-social behaviour is always taken seriously. Officers work closely with partners, as we are acutely aware of the upset that any form of anti-social behaviour can have within a community.”
A council spokeswoman said the locks of the washing room had been changed, adding: “We were made aware of the situation and acted promptly to address the needs of tenants. The area has now been cleared.”