Story by Colin Osborne
A terrified Hereford single mother with a two-year-old toddler has told the Journal of how she spends her days away from her home, returning late in the evening, after neighbours put her “through hell”.
After she was guaranteed anonymity as protection against possible reprisals, the woman described how she regularly flees to her mother’s home about eight miles away, to get some peace from people knocking on her door and windows and the constant loud music played day and night.
She claimed that the neighbours concerned habitually urinate in doorways, scatter booze bottles and cans around the front and back gardens, shout abuse at residents and visitors and allegedly assaulted one caller.
Now her case has been taken up by Herefordshire Council Independent councillor Glenda Powell and parish councillor John Newman, who the victim describes as “the only ones on my side and who are prepared to listen”.
Councillor Powell told the Journal that she had experienced intimidation from the people concerned in the past.
“But I will not let that deter me from taking up this single parent’s case, although I know they are relentless in their pursuit of making life unbearable for the people they wish to harass,” she said.
“The people concerned have left rubbish outside the window and door of this lady’s home, threatening to set it alight, played loud, amplified music throughout the night, and allowed up to five dogs at a time to roam outside her door, urinating and fouling the area and leaving a horrible smell in a confined space,” she said.
And a meeting between the councillor, the single parent and a member of Herefordshire Housing’s anti-social behaviour team became so fraught that the person they were supposed to be helping was reduced to tears by the officer’s comments.
“This served no great purpose in alleviating the problem,” Councillor Powell said.
Councillors Powell and Newman quoted the Housing Association’s tenant handbook: “A tenant is responsible for the upkeep and condition of the property they occupy, together with the conduct of themselves and visitors”.
They say that the association needs to urgently review its policies about visits and letters to offending tenants before going to court for a possession order, and should not feel – as one senior Herefordshire Housing officer had advised them – that they have failed a tenant if they evict, said the councillors. “We feel that Herefordshire Housing must carry out their policies to the eviction order to regain control,” they said.
A Herefordshire Housing statement said they were aware of the situation and were working with the police to gather evidence.
“But this takes time, and this is a sensitive situation which we hope to solve as quickly as possible,” the statement added.
A police spokesman told the Journal: “We are working closely with the Housing Association with an on-going investigation on a number of issues to solve the problems for the people in this particular area.”
