Action over round the clock street dealers in Barnsley community

Police attention which helped “clean up” a troubled Barnsley community has now switched to another suburb in the same area to crack down on those blamed for dealing drugs on streets around the clock.
Troubled: The Stocks Lane area of Barnsley has been targeted by drug dealersTroubled: The Stocks Lane area of Barnsley has been targeted by drug dealers
Troubled: The Stocks Lane area of Barnsley has been targeted by drug dealers

Roads around Stocks Lane, off Summer Lane, have become a PACT priority – meaning police and other public sector bodies put an increased focus on problems in the neighbourhood, as a result of increased concern from residents.

Complaints of drug dealers using car parks in the area at night, and selling illegal substances more brazenly on the street during daylight hours, were raised at a Police and Communities Together meeting recently.

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That switched priority attention from a housing complex at Honeywell, where focused police action has helped reduce problems experienced by residents.

Coun Phillip Lofts said enforcement in the area was beginning to have a positive impact, with problems associated with residents of flats reduced following some evictions.

He said: “The last we did was Honeywell and that had a really good effect, it cleaned the place up a lot.

“We have had reports of drug dealing in the Bingley Street and Stocks Lane triangle, there are three car parks there. We know it is happening, it happens fairly openly on the streets.

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“Residents say they have seen people at 3am doing drug deals and openly during the day outside people’s houses.

“Police are not targeting the area."

It was understood some residents had been evicted from flats in the area after complaints of noise and intimidation, leading to improvements, he added.

One issue for the area is that it is made up largely of terraced streets, with back alleys which can be used as a rabbit warren to evade capture, particularly by those using motor scooters.

“I don’t doubt there is still drug dealing in the area,” he said.

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*Police have also been active at a location in Hilton Street, off Stocks Lane, with the force stating: “Police executed a warrant close to Barnsley town centre last week (October 25) as part of an ongoing investigation in to the alleged rape of a 15-year-old girl on October 6. “A man, 40, and a woman, 29, both from Barnsley, were arrested on suspicion of facilitating a child sexual offence. They have since been released on bail.”

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