Gangs from Liverpool and the Midlands are targeting vulnerable young people in Newtown with drugs, it was claimed today.
Cllr Elwyn Vaughan said he had severe concerns about children's services in Powys and the widely accepted concern about the lack of support for fragile young people.
His comments as the county council cabinet met at County Hall.
He has put a motion to council calling for more work and greater co-operation with other groups and organisations in the area to help young people.
He said he was concerned about the care of young people, especially after they have returned to their home communities following care and being in hospital.
“As a vulnerable person returns to the community there are many challenges, temptations, uncertainties – and there’s a need for great patience.
“At this very moment there are gangs from Liverpool and the Midlands taking possession of the streets of Newtown, drowning the area with hard drugs, supplying other towns, watching out for fragile young people in order to draw them into the net.
“They watch pharmacies such as Boots and Lloyds and even the surgery, to see which young people leave with large packs of medicine – a tell-tale sign of their fragility.
“And then, having hooked them, drawing them in like a fish into a net, so that it’s impossible to break free.
“They take over their homes, Cuckooing, taking everything, their bank card, their benefits."
He added: "Indeed, on May 9th I notified Social Services of my concerns regarding a young man saying: “I have a 21 old lad, in the Newtown area, who has wide-ranging issues. He has been experiencing psychosis for six weeks. He is paranoid and has knives. He fears for his life.”
"I had no doubt that he should have gone to hospital – for his sake and others.
"On the 10th I was told, and I’ll quote, 'that his risk rating is reducing.'”
“My health board colleagues confirmed that at present In-Patient treatment is not deemed necessary at this time.”
Cllr Vaughan said: “Within a fortnight, and the situation is the same to this day, his house was taken over by a gang – the cuckoo came to the house, taking his bank card, ruling his life, and giving him prostitutes and drugs to ensure he conforms to them.
"Without a doubt there are many lessons from this. They use young people to run for them, to go from place to place. Sending them on the early morning train to Walsall to collect another batch of ‘crack cocaine’, or taking them to larger cities such as Swansea where nobody will know them.
“Vanishing from the face of the earth – literally. And whilst they used to use black Audis and Mercedes - another reason for selling the Council Chairman’s car - they are now travelling in hired cars in order to avoid the eyes of police and using young people to do their dirty work."
He added: “And as if that wasn’t enough there’s a danger that drugs such as Parglobin are coming to the area – a huge problem in Northern Ireland.
But there are other challenges that face our young people also.
"Wider, mental health issues, loneliness etc are real challenges in our rural communities."
Cllr Vaughan put forward the following motion:
We therefore call on the Council to:
•Acknowledge the challenge, dangers and pressures on our young people
•To prepare a support strategy for 16 – 25 year olds in Powys bridging the gap from children’s social services including:
oEnsuring there’s a Wellbeing project in our primary and secondary schools
oEnsure that Social services and Housing co-operate to avoid silo working in the authority
•Co-operate with Young Farmers to raise awareness about loneliness in rural communities, mental health issues, sexuality and drugs
•To acknowledge the work of local charities and third sector providers and work with them to ensure the sustainability of their support services for the future
•Co-operate with Shelter Cymru to promote knowledge of benefits and housing rights
•Co-operate with Cais
•Develop work experience opportunities
•Develop one of the Council’s small holdings to provide experiences of working on the land, horticulture and the open air as part of the process of strengthening and getting stronger for individuals
