LOCALS living in a drug-ravaged city say 30 years ago it was ecstasy that people flocked to the area for – but now more terrifying drugs are taking over.
The residents say central Manchester has become a place where zombie-like people chase teens down the streets, while other drug users lie across footpaths.
STEVE ALLENLocals living in Manchester say the city is ravaged by drugs[/caption]
STEVE ALLENJohanna Slack says she often sees ‘zombie’-like people walking the streets[/caption]
STEVE ALLENTwenty-six-year-old Matthew Hamilton says he’s been warned to not walk around the area alone at night[/caption]
STEVE ALLENLocals say the issues have only got worse over the years[/caption]
The shocking daily scenes make dozens scared to walk around at night – and locals say it’s only getting worse as the years go on.
Johanna Slack, 32, said she’s seen horror scenes over the years – and now she tries to avoid the area out of fear for her safety.
She told The Sun: “You do see people lay on the floor who are obviously on something, like zombies – it’s bizarre, and unfortunately it’s especially bad in the Northern Quarter.
“It wasn’t as bad 10 or 11 years ago, but now I wouldn’t walk around the Northern Quarter at night because it’s just not safe.
“It’s a proper shame because it has gone really downhill, and it’s gotten worse, so now I just try and avoid the area when I can because these people are on Spice (synthetic marijuana) – and like I said, it’s unsafe.”
The city has a rich history with narcotics – dating back to its infamous Haçienda heyday in the 80s and early 90s.
This saw partygoers migrate in their hundreds to the renowned nightclub to take ecstasy.
But now, locals fear it’s harder, more dangerous drugs that people are getting their hands on near the city’s Northern Quarter and Picadilly Gardens.
Like Johanna, Matthew Hamilton, 26, said he’s already scared for his safety – and he’s only been living in the city for three months.
Originally hailing from Chester, the recruiter moved to Manchester from Leeds and said drug taking on the street is “way worse here”.
Matthew said: “I see it pretty much every day.
“I’ve been followed by one of them while walking with my friend once. We were walking down Market Street and someone told us they had just gotten out of prison – it was really scary.
“I don’t feel safe around here, and my mates, and my mum, tell me not to walk around here at night.”
The 26-year-old said he’d watched drug users following youngsters on the street, adding: “I do love it here but it does have a problem with drugs.
“It’s more concerning though when you see them harassing girls.
“Drug taking is happening on the streets and I see it on a daily basis.”
It’s sort of surprising how obvious it is, but I just look the other way most of the time – but you’d be shocked how visible it is.
Daniel Ash
Gaynor Lomas, 36, echoed Matthew’s concerns.
She said: “I wouldn’t want to walk around on my own because you don’t feel safe, especially with everyone who is on drugs.”
It’s been two months since Greater Manchester Police (GMP) launched Operation Vulcan – which is targeting crime in the city.
And while they spent 140 hours policing the streets in November, and arrested 69 people for all sorts of crimes, locals say they’re yet to notice a difference.
Pranksters even put up fake “Crack and Heroine Zone” posters, which had the police and council logos on them and claimed: “The sale and use of crack and heroin is authorised in this area.”
While GMP didn’t answer questions on the spoofed signs, they claimed Operation Vulcan had made a difference since it was launched two months ago.
Inspector Dan Cullum, one of specialist officers, said: “Operation Vulcan Piccadilly is a real community-focused project, tackling the issues that matter the most to the people of Manchester.
“A lot of the work goes on behind the scenes and isn’t always visible to the wider public, but I’d like to assure you that we continue to work closely with our partners and dedicated officers from across the force to make sure the root causes of the issues faced in Piccadilly Gardens are resolved, ensuring long-term, sustainable change in the area.
“We continue to deploy a wide range of tactics to ensure the public feel safe.”
But not everyone had noticed a difference – including Daniel Ash, 35, who said he still comes across drugs “near enough every day”.
He said: “You aren’t really looking for it but you do see it, and smell it – there’ll be someone smoking cannabis every now and then.
“It’s sort of surprising how obvious it is, but I just look the other way most of the time – but you’d be shocked how visible it is.”
STEVE ALLENResidents say they’re too scared to walk around alone at night[/caption]
STEVE ALLENPolice say they’ve started monitoring the area – and arrested 69 people for crimes in the month of November[/caption]
STEVE ALLENLocal Gaynor Lomas says she fears walking around on her own[/caption]
STEVE ALLENDaniel Ash said you don’t even have to go looking for drug use – it’s just there[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
