Drug addicts using communal areas of Northampton blocks of flats leaves residents worried about finding person dead

Individuals and groups of up to six use the stairs or bin rooms of St Stephens House in Spring Boroughs, to inject or smoke drugs as well as urinating and vomiting, it has been reported.

The resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, said they openly have their paraphernalia out and leave it behind, despite children being among those who live there.

"This is becoming beyond a joke now, as I know myself I don’t want to witness this. At least once a day you will come across an addict in the stairwells," they said.

"With the rate this is going, we will come across an individual dead on the stairs soon if nothing is done to stop this problem."

They said the residents of the Grafton Street building take it upon themselves to move them on as well as reporting it to police.

St Stephen's House seems to suffer similar problems to those of Dover Court, where a blood-stained needle was left in the corridor last week, according to someone who lives there.

Shaun Chapman, a resident at the St James' Road block, said he has passed people taking drugs in the corridors and neighbours being raided by police.

"Knowing that sort of people are around my property, it's unsafe and it's scary," he said.

"For me, it's okay because I can handle myself but if my missus was here on her own - anything could happen."

Both blocks are managed by Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH), on behalf of Northampton Borough Council.

An NPH spokesman said the issue of drug users occupying private areas is not confined to social housing and needs to be tackled by working with police and social services.