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Ferguslie Park Housing Association (FPHA) has scored its first legal victory against drug dealing by evicting Judith Manson (36) from her home in Dalskeith Avenue for allowing Steven Manson to sell the Class A drug Cocaine from the property.
Mr Manson was convicted of supplying the drug from the home in Ferguslie Park to undercover Police Officers during a major police operation code named Triplicate.
Since Mr Mason’s conviction the Association has been working with Renfrewshire Council’s Anti Social Investigation Team and Strathclyde Police to gather evidence to support the Association’s case for eviction. The Association employed specialist housing lawyers TC Young to represent them and present the evidence in court.
The move to evict Ms. Manson highlights the zero tolerance approach the Association is taking against drug dealing from their properties.
Robert Craig, Chief Executive of FPHA said: “We are committed to using all the resources available to us to tackle anti social behaviour. Cases such as this show the effectiveness of working with our partners in Renfrewshire Council’s Anti Social Behaviour Team and Strathclyde Police. The message from our community in Ferguslie Park is a simple one “Drug Dealers” are not welcome.”
Councillor Brian Lawson, Convener of Housing and Community Safety Policy Board, said: “These latest evictions show that there is no hiding place for people who deal drugs and that the people who shelter them will also face severe consequences. Renfrewshire Council has been pursuing an active policy of evicting people who deal drugs and I’m very pleased that we have been able to support the Ferguslie Park Housing Association in its efforts to clean up the local community.”
Superintendent Donald McCallum, Sub Divisional Officer for Renfrewshire added: “In addition to facing a prison sentence this is an additional price that drug dealers and anyone who facilitates their unlawful activities will pay. It is also a very good example of the effective joint working that now takes place between a variety of local authority departments and other agencies.”