RESIDENTS of a troubled Suffolk street today called for action after claiming their garden alleys have become dens for drug users, litter louts and drunks.

RESIDENTS of a troubled Suffolk street today called for action after claiming their garden alleys have become dens for drug users, litter louts and drunks.

Concerned residents of Cherry Tree Road, Stowmarket, have found needles, used condoms and human excrement in the paths leading to their back gardens and say living conditions are going from bad to worse.

A petition has now been handed to Mid Suffolk District Council, urging it to invest in security gates and the council has agreed to look for solutions.

Carol Shipp, 44, lives next to one of the alleys and found a used needle in her front garden. She has collected 50 signatures supporting the cause.

She said: "I am angry. We want the council to put secure gates at the top of the alleys to stop drug users and drunks going up there.

"We did have drug users living up here and others came to the house.

"When they realised they had gone they needed another place to take drugs - they are using the alleys.

"I'm not expecting to get anywhere with the council, we never do up this street. It took us nearly two years to get the drug users out."

Stacey Wright, a 25-year-old mother of two, said: "Almost every single house on this road has children living in it and they should be able to play safely out in the street.

"It's disgusting what gets left down here. It's lucky the needle was found by an adult and not children, who might have wanted to go and play doctors and nurses with it."

Christine Jarrold helped collect the petition signatures.

She said: "The road has a bad reputation from years ago which has stuck and people think they can come here and use it how they like.

"It's used as a public toilet by people coming home from pubs.

"At every door we knocked on someone agreed to sign the petition. We all agree gates would be the ideal answer."

Her son Gary, a father-of-four, said: "I started to put my own gate up once but the council said they couldn't guarantee that they wouldn't make me take it down again.

"It would be a lovely place to live if only the council got rid of the riff-raff."

Martin King, public sector housing manager at the council, said: "Although we have had anti-social behaviour issues related to individual households in the past, a lot of this is new to us.

"We know it's not the best cared for road in the district and will now look into possible and practical solutions, perhaps better lighting or gates.

"We will make an initial report into the petition, explaining what action we plan to take."

Is your area being used as a dumping ground? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk