Police have begun patrolling a derelict County Durham care home every day after people started breaking into the property once again. Officers say they have made repeated attempts to secure Feryemount House, in Ferryhill, but fresh entry points into the building are frequently discovered by the following day.
Council moves to repurchase and demolish site
Durham County Council is in the process of reacquiring the former care home after councillors approved the move in September, and has pledged to demolish the 'blight' on the community.
Derek Robson, Durham County Council's acting safer places manager, said: "We understand that after several years of delays and lack of progress from its developers, Feryemount House has become a blight on the town and a magnet for anti-social behaviour."
"That's why we will be reacquiring the property and demolishing it to allow us to facilitate further development on the site, to regenerate the area. In the meantime, we have been working proactively with the police to make sure the building is secure until its demolition."
Officers report repeated entry points
This follows reports that people had once again begun gaining access to the boarded-up structure. Ferryhill Police Sergeant Alisha Meldrum said: "My officers actively patrol this building daily to make sure it is secure, however unfortunately often when we repair an entry point the next day another appears. We are continuing to work closely with the council's anti-social behaviour team to come up with a more permanent solution."
Cllr Joe Quinn stated he was keen to see the building made secure and subsequently demolished. "It is unsafe," he said. "DCC is currently going through the process of repurchasing the building, we are in the hands of the legal system."
"I have contacted officers directly to get the building re-secured again. We will also look at enhanced security measures to help while we await the repurchasing of the building."
Safety warning for parents
Cllr Quinn also urged parents to ensure their children are fully aware of the risks associated with entering the premises. He said: "Parents should be having a word with their kids because the building has already had a big fire in there. It is not a safe building."
"It's also clearly been secured with fencing, with signs saying don't enter."
Durham County Council agreed in September to repurchase Feryemount House, five years after it was sold, with Cllr Quinn stating it would cost millions of pounds to refurbish the site and bring it back into use without demolishing it.
The former care home shut its doors in 2014 and was subsequently sold to developer Care Co Plus Ltd in 2021. Since then, the property has continued to fall into disrepair and has been subjected to vandalism and anti-social behaviour. The council previously confirmed it had spent almost £30,000 securing and maintaining the site.
