RESIDENTS on a housing estate have had their lives “blighted” for the past three years by drug dealing and anti-social behaviour.

People living on St Margaret’s Close in Smithills have reported numerous incidents of drug dealing and other problems in that time and are “fed up”.

They are calling on housing provider Onward Homes, which manages the rented accommodation that has older residents, to take action to make the estate safer for them.

One resident said: “We are all fed up of it.

"There are quite a few elderly people that live here and they do not feel safe.

“Until 2017 our estate was made up of over 55s who were all respectful of one another.

“Two of our neighbours have been here for over 30 years.

“The recent changes to the estate have blighted their lives.

“People are dealing drugs blatantly under our because they know they can.

“My blood pressure has risen a few times because of the tension.”

The resident added that Onward Homes have asked occupants to keep a diary of incidents to pass on to staff, which has been done but there has not been a change in the behaviour.

Smithills councillor Roger Hayes was notified by the problem on the estate around a month ago. Cllr Hayes, who wrote a letter to Onward Homes about the issues, said “it is a difficult situation” but “disruption” is being caused to residents’ lives.

Their rights have got to be “respected”, he added.

Onward Homes says it prioritising the safety of tenants.

And the provider is sending residents questionnaires about the situation and confirmed it is asking them to log incidents which can then be passed on to the police.

An Onward Homes spokesman said: “We are aware of the issues at St Margaret’s Close in Bolton and we are working closely with residents, police and mediation services to ensure appropriate action is taken to prevent this behaviour from continuing.

“We are conducting questionnaires with local residents and asking them to keep a diary log of dates and times of incidents, and assisting with the police street surgery.

“The safety of our tenants and the local community is of utmost importance to us.

"Onward customers are encouraged to report antisocial behaviour to us via our website or by calling us on 0300 555 0600.”