A neighbour fears she is being ignored over public defecation and people squatting in a tent near her home in West Reading.
The woman lives in Westbrook Road, with her garden backing onto Portman Road, near the Tesco Extra.
She works from home as an account manager, but said her life has been ‘a nightmare’ ever since people started living in a tent directly behind her home.
Although she has contacted Thames Valley Police, Reading Borough and Matt Rodda, the Labour MP for Reading Central, the issues have persisted for weeks on end.
The resident, who asked not to be named, said: “I’m having a nightmare.”
She claims “drug users” have pitched a large tent in the end of her garden and she says she has called police over “drug use, domestic abuse and for a stabbing”.
She added: “They are using my back garden fence as a toilet, a month ago another tent pitched up for 24 hours people are coming and going, buying and selling drugs there.”
Photos provided show a person excreting on or near a garden fence in Westbrook Road.
The neighbour said: “Police always say call us if something is happening – then they say it’s not our problem, it’s a too-and-fro with them and the council – despite repeatedly emailing the MP because this problem started from Tesco, they got moved on from there, and progressed down to my house.
“They’ve said this whole area has been cleared – that’s not correct, the tent directly behind my house is occupied – they are using my fence as a toilet. I had to call 999 because someone was being stabbed at the tent, the police spoke to someone in the tent who denied it.
“I’m now on anti-depressants every day, I struggle to sleep, because they are up drinking, smoking weed and crack.
“Mentally, this has caused me so many problems; I don’t feel safe in my own home. I’m being passed pillar to post – I work from home, I just can’t focus. I’ve got rats because of the rubbish. There’s no accountability.
“A huge tree two doors down split the branch to stop people walking past – they’ve annihilated trees here. No one wants to do anything about it.
“I don’t care about Tesco, my anxiety is insane, no one wants to do anything about it, and it’s affecting my job. I’ve kept the area clear.”
There were 10 tents near Tesco, with council employees coming out on September 1 to evict them. However, that has not solved the issue outside the woman’s house.
She also claims she was laughed at by a police call handler when she reported that the tent occupants had set up a paddling pool.
She said: “You couldn’t make it up. It’s not funny in the slightest. They had a fire. Every week, the people seem to change – one woman is always there – I see her, another woman and two guys who are always at the tent.”
She has been making reports on the council’s Love Clean Streets app weeks ago, but the cases she has opened remain active and she claims the council has not responded to her enquiries for more than two months.
She said: “This needs to be done properly, they’re ruining my life on a daily basis.”
Confronted with her complaints, a council spokesperson said: “The council has begun the legal process to apply for a possession order for this encampment which would lead to eviction from the land.
“At the same time, the council’s rough sleeping outreach service, run by St Mungo’s, works with individuals through any possession process to ensure they are offered appropriate support and access to suitable housing options at every stage.
“St Mungo’s are continuing to visit this site regularly to offer support, even where people refuse to engage with accommodation or reconnection offers.
“Reports of associated anti-social behaviour are key in assisting the council and the Police to best deal with encampments that are causing community distress. As such, the council encourages residents to report any anti-social behaviour connected with this or any encampment to our Safer Public Realm Team at https://www.reading.gov.uk/crime-and-safety/reporting-antisocial-behaviour.”
