Burnley town centre plagued by drug crime and abuse of shoppers, claims businessman
Overt drug dealing in Burnley town centre makes the area sometimes feel like a scene from Beirut, claims an independent shop owner.
The businessman, who does not want to be named for fear of retaliation, claims he has seen people openly selling suspected Class A substances in the streets, misuse of drugs and alcohol, intimidation of shoppers, and speeding on off-road bikes from 5-30am until late every day in the pedestrianised area of St James's Street near McDonald's.
"They are blatantly drug-dealing in the town centre. They're there all day, every day. It's ridiculous. It's a free-for-all. It's pretty much Beirut.
"There's abusive behaviour towards members of the public wandering through. They're arguing with each other. If someone says something to them, they gang up on them. One lad went up to a disabled lady and said, 'You better not be recording me or I'll smash your face in', but she was looking at her phone."
He has also heard reports of someone exposing themself at a McDonald's window in front of diners.
"There's no accountability," he added, calling policing in the town centre "non-existent".
"Police have been called several times, but there's been no attempt to stop it in the past six months. Nothing is being done. It's just ignored.
"I'd like to see them being moved on and getting arrested. If we were dealing drugs, we'd be sent to prison. It's serious. It's not on."
His comments follow the announcement this week by Burnley Council and Burnley BID (Business Improvement District) that uniformed wardens are being deployed in the town centre seven days a week to challenge and report on individuals and groups acting in a persistently anti-social manner.
But the shop owner is not optimistic about the move's impact, saying "The only thing I'm confident that [will help] is winter. It might keep them at home. When it's summer, it's party time for them."
The business owner fears antisocial behaviour drives customers away, and he feels disheartened by the number of empty shops and what he describes as unclean streets littered with needles.
"I hear people walking past the shop saying they're not coming here again. People aren't coming into town.
"I've thought about quitting, putting up a sign and saying, 'What's the point?'
"There are a lot of independent businesses working hard. We all care and we're trying to make a living. We're giving it a good go but we're getting hammered by drug dealing.
"Businesses ask me, 'Should I move here?' And I say, 'No'."