RESIDENTS in Distillery Street in the Lower Falls have described the area as "nothing more than a collection of potholes."
The area is a mixture of commercial and residential buildings and is one of the busiest streets in West Belfast, with traffic visiting the commercial units, the nearby leisure centre, as well as the Royal Victoria Hospital.
Tony Walls, Workers' Party rep for the Lower Falls, said that a lack of street lighting in the area is also leading to an increase in crime and drug dealing.
"I was contacted by a number of residents living in the Distillery street area with complaints about the state of the road which they claim is nothing more than a collection of potholes," he said. "There is only street lighting on the residential side of the street.
"The area has also become a gathering place for drug users and on several occasions the Sharps team have had to be called to remove used and discarded needles.
"One resident found a needle with blood on it outside his front door and residents are concerned that a child is going to be injured or infected should they pick up one of these used needles.
"Over the Christmas period residents reported that house doors and car doors were being tried in order to gain access and believe it may have been people under the influence of drugs.
"Distillery Street is a working class neighbourhood and suffers from all the deprivations and poverty that exists, they should not have to live in a state of fear for their children’s safety.
"I am calling for more street lighting to be installed, the potholes in the road to be filled in and the road repaired and more police patrols to deal with the drug taking and dealing."
