Latest news with #TheThistle
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Council forced to send in clean-up crew to deal with vile drug den near Glasgow's fix room
COUNCIL chiefs were forced to call in a JCB to scoop up drug debris near Glasgow's safe consumption room. Piles of used needles were piled on Tobago Street in the city's Calton, near the controversial facility heralded by local authority bosses. 6 A JCB was called in to clean up drug debris and mess from fly-tipping Credit: Glasgow City Council 6 A clean up was ordered on Tobago Street near the safe consumption room Credit: Les Gallagher 6 Discarded needles at the drug den near the facility Credit: Les Gallagher 6 The Thistle has caused outrage among local residents Credit: Les Gallagher 6 Campaigner Colin McGowan said the council owes the people of Calton an apology Credit: Steve Welsh 6 Councillor Allan Casey rejected suggestions the clean-up was a U-turn by the council Credit: Les Gallagher Residents have been up in arms over the fix room and said the area around their homes has become a hotbed of drugs and crime since it opened. They gathered at a meeting where they said they feared for their kids safety and blasted cops for their lack of action in tackling the rise in drug dealers flooding the area. But a major cleanup of the area was ordered by bosses after multiple complaints from locals. There was so much debris from drug use and fly tipping around the drug den that a digger had to be used. Pictures taken by The Scottish Sun in the area today showed used needles and foil wrappers littering the area. Campaigner Colin McGowan, who runs childrens' charity Blameless, told how he has repeatedly been out picking up dozens of used needles from the Tobago Street area. He told The Scottish Sun: "We've been told we are peddling misinformation and have been called social media agitators with a passing interest. "This clean-up is a total U-turn from the council. It's a good start, but they still need to answer to the rising crime, the rise in drug dealing, and the lack of police presence in the area. "It is bringing more drug users and drug dealers to the area. Where is their duty of care to the people? "The people of Calton are blameless. They have to go out there and live in an area saturated with needles. Drug fix rooms could be rolled out across Scotland before end of controversial Glasgow pilot "The council and John Swinney need to apologise to the people of Calton for finally catching up." Councillor Allan Casey, who is the council's convenor for addiction services flat out rejected any suggestion the JCB was a U-turn from city bosses. He said: "There has been absolutely no U-turn. We have been doing clean ups in the area long before The Thistle has been there. "We've conducted a number of clean ups before The Thistle even opened and indeed after it because we have been speaking to the community all throughout the process of opening The Thistle and we will continue to do so. "Any misinformation is that this is a new phenomenon. "We hope that's a good start and it's making a difference but it's very early days and we want to obviously make sure that we're removing harm as much as we possibly can." We told how Health Secretary Neil Gray has paved the way for more of the fix rooms to be opened up across Scotland. He appeared before MPs at Westminster amid the controversy surrounding The Thistle. talked up the idea of allowing crack cocaine to be smoked at the first fix room, saying the Scottish Government and top prosecutor Lord Advocate would 'consider' this. His appearance at Westminster's Scottish Affairs Committee came amid a row over the Thistle Centre facility, which has seen a stream of ambulance call-outs since it opened this year. There are also worries it may be fuelling levels of discarded needles in the area of Glasgow's east end, and campaigners have warned it is distracting from the need for rehab for addicts.
Edinburgh Reporter
28-05-2025
- Health
- Edinburgh Reporter
Midlothian has no current plans to introduce a drugs safer consumption room
Midlothian has no current plans to introduce a drugs safer consumption room for drug users amid concern about 'community disquiet' surrounding Scotland's first one in Glasgow. A meeting of the council's SNP administration cabinet last week heard the performance of the Glasgow facility was being monitored by social work and health professionals in the county. However their chief social worker Nick Clater said while there were plans to trial a second room in Edinburgh, Midlothian was not currently considering it. He said: 'There are plans to pilot one in Edinburgh and funding is available with the decision to be made by Edinburgh Alcohol and drugs Partnership, 'There are no plans to do something similar here for two reasons – one is financial – it would mean stopping something else – and second is the economics and space required to do it. 'A third reason is emerging – community disquiet in the area in Glasgow where it is currently being piloted. We are waiting to see the outcome of the pilot when it is fully assessed.' Glasgow opened the UK's first safer drugs consumption room , called The Thistle, in January this year. It says the facility can combat drug-related deaths and improve public health by offering a clean, safe place for people to inject their own drugs – obtained elsewhere, not provided or purchased on site – under clinical supervision and access a wide range of treatment and support. At last week's Midlothian cabinet meeting, members heard that while a similar facility was not currently in the pipeline, current work with substance use in the county was progressing with its treatment standard among the best 'if not the best' in the country. A report revealed that over the last year 100 per cent of users referred for treatment were seen within the 21 days target set by Scottish Government. And it shared feedback from one of its groups established by Midlothian mental health and substance use service which revealed up to 100 per cent of users said it had found it strongly helpful and were treated with respect and listened to. By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
Edinburgh Live
28-05-2025
- Health
- Edinburgh Live
No plans for Midlothian drugs consumption room amid 'community disquiet' in Glasgow
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Midlothian has no current plans to introduce a drugs safer consumption room for drug users amid concern about 'community disquiet' surrounding Scotland's first one in Glasgow. A meeting of the council's SNP administration cabinet last week heard the performance of the Glasgow facility was being monitored by social work and health professionals in the county. However their chief social worker Nick Clater said while there were plans to trial a second room in Edinburgh, Midlothian was not currently considering it. He said: "There are plans to pilot one in Edinburgh and funding is available with the decision to be made by Edinburgh Alcohol and drugs Partnership, "There are no plans to do something similar here for two reasons - one is financial - it would mean stopping something else - and second is the economics and space required to do it. "A third reason is emerging - community disquiet in the area in Glasgow where it is currently being piloted. We are waiting to see the outcome of the pilot when it is fully assessed." Glasgow opened the UK's first safer drugs consumption room , called The Thistle, in January this year. It says the facility can combat drug-related deaths and improve public health by offering a clean, safe place for people to inject their own drugs - obtained elsewhere, not provided or purchased on site - under clinical supervision and access a wide range of treatment and support. At last week's Midlothian cabinet meeting, members heard that while a similar facility was not currently in the pipeline, current work with substance use in the county was progressing with its treatment standard among the best "if not the best" in the country. A report revealed that over the last year 100 per cent of users referred for treatment were seen within the 21 days target set by Scottish Government. And it shared feedback from one of its groups established by Midlothian mental health and substance use service which revealed up to 100 per cent of users said it had found it strongly helpful and were treated with respect and listened to.
Scottish Sun
26-05-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Scotland's fix room bosses post adverts at needle dumping grounds as locals say community is now ‘warzone'
BOSSES at Scotland's fix room are advertising their services at needle dumping grounds as locals again blast authorities over claims their community has been turned into a "warzone". Posters have been put up urging users to attend the controversial Thistle Centre rather than inject on the street. 3 Residents living near the The Thistle in Glasgow are outraged over a spike in needle litter in the area Credit: PA 3 A patch of waste ground in the Calton has become a drug den filled with needles and other drug paraphernalia Credit: Tom Farmer 3 Laminated posters for The Thistle have been stuck up around the area Credit: Tom Farmer And new bins to discard used needles have also been installed by officials in Glasgow's Calton area where locals are up in arms over the state of the area. The Thistle aims to tackle the shocking number of drug deaths in Scotland but has been criticised by people living in the area who have complained about junkie waste in surrounding streets and an increase in antisocial behaviour. Former council worker Vanessa Paton told Sky News: 'It is getting worse. The new room has appeared, and the problems have escalated with it. "It's a no-go warzone every day and night. The area's becoming a toilet. "That is the harsh reality of it.' And local resident Angela Scott said: 'It's become a lot worse. It's heightened. "I'm scared that if I am picking up my dog's dirt, am I going to prick a needle? "Am I going to end up with an infection that a lot of drug addicts tend to have because they are sharing needles? "I don't want to pick up something infectious.' The facility was opened in January this year and welcomed almost 20-users a day during an 'intense' first week of operation. Neil Gray slammed for dismissing drugs litter fears next to Scotland's fix room as 'lies' as footage shows dumped needles and burnt spoons just yards from shoppers SNP ministers approved the centre in 2023, having insisted radical action was needed to tackle the drug deaths crisis in Scotland, with 833 suspected drug deaths between January and September last year. But The Scottish Sun revealed earlier this month how worried nursery staff close to the site are having to scour for needles before allowing children to play. Inspector Max Shaw, from Police Scotland, said: 'We are aware of long-standing issues in the area and continue to work closely in partnership to address these concerns.' Scottish Tory MSP Annie Wells said: 'Out-of-touch SNP politicians are arrogantly dismissing the concerns of local people, who are being left to clean up dirty needles in a desperate bid to keep their streets safe. 'Their flagship drug consumption room is making life a misery for local residents, yet the nationalists are pretending everything's fine. 'We repeatedly warned that pinning their hopes on state-sponsored drug-taking, at huge cost to our overstretched NHS, isn't the silver bullet to tackle this crisis, but in typical SNP fashion they ploughed ahead regardless. 'Scotland already has the worst drugs death rate in Europe – and, since The Thistle opened, suspected fatalities are rising. The SNP's reckless experiment is turning parts of Glasgow into no-go zones. 'Their focus needs to shift from facilitating drug-taking to treatment. John Swinney needs to get off the fence and back the game-changing Right to Recovery bill, which would enshrine in law the right of every Scot to receive the life-saving treatment they need, including residential rehab.' Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government have been contacted for comment.
Sky News
26-05-2025
- Health
- Sky News
Living beside the UK's first drug consumption room
It's 8.34am on a Tuesday and Vanessa Paton is taking me on a tour of Glasgow's east end, where she has lived for almost 50 years. Half a mile away sits the newly opened taxpayer-funded facility, named The Thistle, where drug addicts can bring their heroin and cocaine, are handed clean needles and invited to inject under NHS medical supervision. The concept, a UK first, is controversial and costs £2.3m a year. Authorities believe it provides a safer, cleaner area for users to do their business, away from the dirty, HIV-ridden back alleys of Glasgow city centre. It opened in January, and around 250 people have used it so far. But there is a growing feeling among some that a by-product of this bold project is the alleged "war zone" being created in the community around the new building. Former council worker Ms Paton is one of an ad-hoc group of furious locals who pick up needles as part of desperate efforts to clear their streets. She says: "It is getting worse. The new room has appeared, and the problems have escalated with it. It's a no-go war zone every day and night. "The area's becoming a toilet. That is the harsh reality of it." 'It is disgusting' Sky News spends the morning being shown areas where it is claimed the issues are getting out of control. Ms Paton pulls a bloodied, faeces-covered hospital gown out of a bush as we walk along a path behind a row of houses. We turn the corner to a street where children play and are greeted with syringes filled with blood at our feet, discarded needle packaging and dirty underwear. Local resident Angela Scott says: "It's become a lot worse. It's heightened. I'm scared that if I am picking up my dog dirt am I going to prick a needle. "Am I going to end up with an infection that a lot of drug addicts tend to have because they are sharing needles? I don't want to pick up something infectious." Adverts installed in known drug dens Officials have installed a new needle bin in one hotspot in recent days, with posters erected advertising the nearby consumption room. Ms Paton alleges safety steps are being taken at a nearby nursery. "There is a nursery that actually uses a metal detector in the morning to scan the sandpits before the children go out because of the concern of the needles being in it," she claims. This area is known as Calton and has had its troubles with drug taking and crime for many years. Ms Paton takes us to a tucked-away, overgrown area opposite social housing and a few metres from where a new school is being built. It is a makeshift drug den. There are hundreds of freshly used needles. It is like a minefield. One needle is stabbed into a large tree, there is even a wooden seat which is covered in drug-taking equipment. Once again, there is a laminated A4 piece of paper pointing users in the direction of The Thistle. Ms Paton says: "We picked up 50 needles in one minute last week. If we were to pick up every needle that is here today, we'd be talking hundreds. "We are struggling to find somewhere safe to stand. There are needles between my legs, you've got needles behind your head. "It's totally soul-destroying. Nobody living here expected it to be this bad." Officials deny it is a new problem Glasgow City Council told Sky News there had not been an increase in reports despite the community alleging the opposite. Councillor Allan Casey, who is responsible for drug policy in the city, said: "This has been a long-standing issue and that is one of the main reasons why The Thistle has been placed where it is because there has been decades-long discarded needles in public places. Responding to claims of increasing problems around the new facility, Mr Casey said: "Those reports don't back that up. "The council has not seen a rise in reports of injecting equipment and there has not been an increase in crime reports." Scotland is ravaged by drugs. The country has the worst drug death rate in Europe. Scotland's first minister John Swinney told Sky News the new drug room required time to "see the impact". He said: "The Thistle is a safe consumption facility which is designed to encourage people to come off the use of drugs - that's its purpose. We've got to give that venture time to see the impact. "We need to engage with the local community… and address any concerns." It is understood police have logged no calls about the facility since it opened in January, despite some residents suggesting they have contacted officers with concerns.
