Police swoop too late for elderly couple

Residents welcomed the police action with open arms - but for some it had come too late. Reports by Paul Keaveny, Chris Gough and John Fahey . . .

The strain of living in Great Lever proved to be too much for one elderly couple.

Kathleen and Robert Fearon had spent more than 30 years in the home they moved into as a young married couple, and in the area in which they were raised.

But after trying to turn a blind eye to the scourge of drug dealing and prostitution, they eventually made the heartbreaking decision to leave.

The couple told their harrowing tale from their new home in Farnworth.

Mr Fearon, aged 72, was born in Alder Street, Great Lever, and spent much of his life living in South Street near to a now disused railway line.

He said: "I remember watching the trains pass by when I was a kid and all the children were happy going to school at the end of our street.

"Now the railway line is used as a regular drug den and site for fly tipping - syringes used to be found in the school playground.

"These days South Street in particular, but the area in general, has it all. There is prostitution, drug dealing, regular violence and robbery.

"I remember having a lump hammer behind the front door which I used to take out with me when walking the dog.

"You were always suspicious of everybody because sadly, that's how bad it got. A burglar even tried to get into the house when I was in the front room."

Mrs Fearon added: "I was born in Edinburgh, but when I moved to Great Lever I knew I would never move back because I fell in love with the area. We didn't have a lot of money, but we were happy. You never saw any drunks, violence, drugs or vandalism. Everybody respected each other and did things together.

"Great Lever was a lovely area where the word community really meant community. You could leave your front door open without any worries of being burgled and every neighbour was your friend."

It is the sense of community and feeling of safety among residents, that police chiefs hope to restore in one of the most crime-ravaged of neighbourhoods of Bolton.

Last week's drug raids were just the tip of the iceberg in police plans to crack down on the problems. Police, drug treatment agencies, community leaders and local residents in Great Lever are continuing to work together to eradicate criminal behaviour.

Partners of BSAFE, the Safer Bolton Strategic Partnership, which is working to reduce crime and drugs misuse in the borough, have been working with residents for some time.

They want to raise awareness of substance misuse, its potential impact on a community and how people can deal with the issues involved - by informing them of the signals to look for and where they can get help before it becomes a problem.

Chief Supt Dave Lea, head of BSAFE, said: "It's about learning how we can work even more effectively with the various communities so that they feel reassured that police and BSAFE partners are taking their issues seriously and dealing with them.

"We are also ensuring communities have all the information and support they need to protect themselves from the criminal - how they can ensure that their area becomes one in which this type of behaviour is not tolerated and those who are involved cannot prosper.

"We understand the sort of pressures communities are under and we want to help them to say No' so that they can improve the quality of their lives and the neighbourhoods in which they live."

BSAFE includes Bolton MBC, Greater Manchester Police, Bolton Probation Service, Bolton Primary Care Trust, Bolton, Salford and Trafford Mental Health Trust, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (Bolton), HMP Forest Bank and the Greater Manchester Police Authority.

The key priorities in their strategy are: to reduce offending, prevent young people becoming offenders, reduce the use of Class A drugs and reduce the fear caused by crime and anti-social behaviour.

PROBLEMS in Great Lever are far reaching.

Off-licence owners have told of their difficult working days and a headteacher has admitted pupils have turned up at his school under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

One shop owner, who asked to remain anonymous, said that he lives in fear of being robbed in his store by drug users.

He said: "People are living in fear here. There is so much trouble with drugs and so many associated problems.

"Some people won't come to the shop any more because they are frightened of people using syringes.

"We can see the buying and selling. This was a nice area before, but over the past two years it has completely changed. The whole area is bad now and getting worse. There are a lot of private landlords who don't care who they let their properties to. They are not bothered about the neighbourhood."

Another shop owner, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "Under-age drinkers hang around and people buy alcohol for them - the law means nothing to these people. There is nothing we can do, because by the time the police come they have run away."

Tim Oakes, headteacher of Hayward School, said: "We are aware of the issues regarding drugs and they concern us.

"There have been isolated incidents in school involving some of our pupils and these have been dealt with appropriately. Pupils who came to school under the influence of alcohol, or possibly illegal substances, have been dealt with, though most schools have experiences of that.

"Their treatment depends on the individual circumstances. There's not an absolute rule.

"Clearly, we consider ourselves a very important part of the community and work with the Great Lever neighbourhood management project and we'll do all we can to work with the community and police to reduce the problems that exist.

"We do have a police officer that is based in school as part of schools-based policing, a national programme. Four schools in Bolton have this."