A man from a Buckinghamshire town has accused his local council of 'dangerous' negligence after spotting a pile of drug paraphernalia near an underpass.
Stevie Lawrence, who lives in High Wycombe, said he has become "intensely frustrated and angry" at the ongoing issue of needles and other drug paraphernalia left scattered around the underpass near Dovecot Road, leading to Premier Inn.
Stevie told the Free Press he had reached the end of his tether after noticing that a tent had been erected in the underpass, with a pile of drug apparatus lying nearby.
He said: "I cannot emphasise enough how alarming and dangerous this situation is. With children running around in the vicinity, the risk of them coming into contact with these hazardous objects is simply unacceptable.
"It is outrageous to think that such a blatant disregard for public safety is being allowed to persist unchecked."
Stevie described the arrival of the tent as a sign the underpass had become "an environment where illegal activities can thrive", adding: "The fact that Buckinghamshire Council has taken no action to address this issue is beyond comprehension.
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"The safety of our community, especially our children, should be a top priority. It is high time that those responsible for maintaining our public spaces take their responsibilities seriously.
"The negligence displayed thus far is simply inexcusable, and we, the residents, deserve better."
Arif Hussain, the council's Cabinet Member for Communities, thanked Stevie for raising the matter and said his concerns had been passed on to the relevant teams and Thames Valley Police.
He added: "We would advise members of the public to be careful if they come across litter of this kind and to keep reporting it on the council website. These reports pass directly to our contractor for prompt recovery."
"We would also urge people to report issues of drug-related activity, such as suspected drug dealing, directly to the police by calling 101 or reporting online. In an emergency, dial 999.
"Our community safety teams work closely with the police, drug support services and other partners to provide support and assistance to those affected by drugs and addiction issues and protect our local communities."
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