Astley Bridge: Drug dealing an issue around Drummond Street

Neighbours living in the area say that drugs are being pushed in Drummond Street, Warwick Street and Logan Street.

Police say that they are on the beat in the area into the early hours.

The issues were raised at the Partners and Communities Together (PACT) meeting at the Drummond Street Community Centre on February 5. 

PACT meetings are where members of neighbourhood policing teams, in this case Bolton North, meet with residents and councillors so they can highlight issues in their communities. 

One Astley Bridge local said: "There is drug dealing on the corner on this street and Warwick Street. I reported to Cllr John Walsh. 

"It happens all day." 

Sgt Zach Keneally said: "We have had officers, plain clothes, around at 3am, the early hours of the morning." 

Referring to dealing, one resident said: "They hide down the ginnels on Logan Street." 

Sgt Keneally said police were not aware of those occurrences, so haven't had a chance to tackle the issues in that area. 

The PACT meeting (Image: Newsquest)

The officer added: "We get sent all the information for Astley Bridge. I've seen a piece or two, but I have not seen lots of reports. 

"But we need the information. If you are seeing things, make sure they are sent through to us. 

"When we go out, we will go off the reports people are telling us. If we are getting lots of reports of drug dealing in certain areas, we will look at it, like we did with Astley Bridge Cemetery. 

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"If you do see drug dealing, times, details of the vehicles are helpful. You can contact us through 101 or anonymously via Crimestoppers, it will come through to us and we can patrol an area based on that." 

Another resident said that around Drummond Street people wait on the corner, a car pulls up and they exchange "money and drugs through the window". 

The sergeant added: "For those instances, number plates of the cars involved would be useful.

"There have been people locked up for drug dealing in Astley Bridge."  

This comes after police stepped up their patrols around the Astley Bridge Cemetery area towards the end of last year due to increased reports of drug dealing. 

Officers spoke to residents to "gather intelligence" about issues in the vicinity and increased their activity.