Residents living next to The Port Building on Annadale Embankment in South Belfast say they have developed PTSD from living beside a "hellhole" plagued by constant drug abuse, anti-social behaviour and violence. There has also been a recurring problem with one resident "stealing seagulls" and taking them into their apartment, alongside feeding the local rat population by leaving food out.
Residents describe years of violence and drug abuse
When the building opened, residents of the block were told it would be for young families and people over 50 to live. However, according to local residents, it has become an anti-social behaviour hotspot with rampant drug abuse and regular violence. In fact, it has been labelled a "£6.6m crack den" by some of its own occupants.
One resident said "armed police are never away from the place" while another said they are getting treatment for PTSD due to the amount of violence they have witnessed on their doorstep.
Belfast Live has seen video footage of people walking the halls covered in blood following violent assaults, armed police confronting residents, people scaling the side of the building moving from different balconies, and a seagull flying around inside an apartment. One local also claimed they had to get social services to intervene with one tenant to have their child removed due to the parent's drug and alcohol abuse.
'My life has been nothing but hell'
A local resident who asked to be anonymous said: "I moved here I thought I was going to have my forever home after years of saving up. But since The Port Building has opened up my life has been nothing but hell.
"The things that I have seen over the past six years you wouldn't believe. There has been constant street fights, people being stabbed and constant drug abuse. The area is nearly permanently littered with used needles and it feels like the armed police are here every few days.
"I have been threatened countless times by people living in the building and it is hard to understand how these people can still live here. Neighbours here feel like they have more rights than we do because they seem to be able to do what ever they want without any repercussions.
"On top of all of this, there is a resident who is constantly feeding the rats along the river, so the area is absolutely crawling with them. They are also feeding seagulls and grabbing them to take inside their apartment. You can tell when they are arriving in the area as a flock of seagulls is always nearby."
Another nearby resident said living beside the flats has left them with PTSD and they are worried about walking out of their front door as they never know what they might be met with.
They said: "I am currently undergoing treatment for PTSD that I have developed living beside these apartments. There are times where I have been coming home from work and found people who had basically been stabbed on my front door step or had their head bashed open.
"I can't understand how this has been allowed to continue for so long and why these people have not been removed from the area for all of the problems they have caused."
Housing association takes legal action
Clanmil Housing Association said since the Port Building opened, it has commenced legal action against seven tenants and four have been moved from the premises.
A spokesperson said: "We are committed to providing a safe and peaceful environment at our housing schemes, including our general needs apartments at Annadale.
"Where there is evidence of anti-social behaviour in the area, we report this to the PSNI and fully co-operate with them in any investigation. Where there is evidence of a breach of tenancy, we take robust action against those involved.
"Since the building opened, where all other interventions had been exhausted, we have taken legal action against seven tenants, four of whom have now moved on. Three are awaiting court hearings. We are continuing to take this robust approach with any customers who do not engage with us and continue to cause anti-social behaviour.
"We encourage anyone with information about the alleged incidents to report it to the PSNI and to our team and we will be contacting our customers to remind them of this. We have contacted the PSNI and USPCA about an animal welfare issue at the scheme.
"There are a number of colleagues at the scheme who can assist customers with any concerns, including a Tenancy Support Co-ordinator and a Housing Officer. In addition, INSEC, a security company we employ to do regular patrols and call outs, can be contacted.
"We are continuing to support all customers at the scheme who require our intervention and cannot comment on any individual customer, the circumstances surrounding their tenancy or any vulnerabilities."
Police respond to animal welfare report
Police have said they are aware of the anti-social behaviour issues at the Port Building and they received a report about an animal welfare issues on Monday, August 24. Officers attended the property on Wednesday, August 26, to remove the seagull from the apartment.
Sergeant Creelan said: "Our enquiries are ongoing, and officers will continue to engage with partner agencies concerning this matter. We are also aware of wider ongoing anti-social behaviour issues within the Annadale Drive area.
"Anyone engaging in anti-social or criminal behaviour should be aware that it will be dealt with robustly. Public safety is of paramount importance to us.
"Proactive patrols will continue - and we would ask anyone who sees any ongoing anti-social behaviour to report it to police by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency."
