Club 'used for drug taking'

Homeless people are using a Shropshire bowling club as a place to take drugs and shelter in the evenings, officials have warned.

Staff at The Telepost Club in Railway Lane, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, are so fed-up of regularly having to pick up used needles and mess the vagrants have left behind that new steel shutters could be installed.

Bosses have applied to Shropshire Council for a grant of £2,668 to pay for the proposed security measure. The funding bid will be discussed by members of the Eastern Shrewsbury Local Joint Committee on Tuesday night.

A report says: "The Telepost Bowling Club is used by old and young people alike. It currently has an ongoing problem with homeless people using the premises for sleeping and drug taking. Every day a member of the club checks the area for used needles and mess.

"The police have suggested the use of shutters as the only means of deterring the homeless people from continuing to use this area inappropriately."

Councillor Malcolm Price, cabinet member for housing with Shropshire Council, said he was not aware of the problems but would liaise with officials in a bid to try and introduce spot-checks with the police.