Hanwell Woman's 'Living Nightmare'
Sallie Campbell highlights the growing problem of drug users in W7
The Hanwell community has stepped in to help a young mother who has been forced to leave her home after being subjected to attacks and abuse from local drug users.
Sallie Campbell, aged 26, of Cherington Road says she and her nine -year old daughter have been in a 'living nightmare' and is critical of the police who she says have allowed it to continue.
After recounting her experiences on the local Facebook group residents were horrified and advised her to set up a Crowdfunding site so they could help her find a deposit to enable her to move.
Rory Butler spoke to Ms Campbell for Ealing Today and reports:
''I have had to clean-up needles, human excrement, burned foil. I kept finding the wrappings, hundreds of wrappings. This is the worst it's ever been ”
Sallie Campbell has lived at her W7 address for six years, but, in the last three years things have deteriorated to such an extent she has become terrified to go home.
She says groups of users are regularly spotted sometimes involved in drugs deals, often smoking or injecting illegal substances.
They have even been reported outside her daughter's primary school of which she says the school is aware and police informed.
On Monday 22 January 2018, Sallie says she left to go shopping with her mother, when she was confronted by a man and woman outside her home. The woman, she says, had no sock on and there was a needle sticking from between her toes.
“As I came out I asked what she was doing, and she just went ballistic, she started swearing. I went back inside to get my friend and when he came out the man started on him. I saw my daughter stood at the top of the stairs watching so I told her to go inside. My friend said, 'There are kids in the house', to which the woman screamed ' 'F**k your f**king kids, I'll kill your kids. I'll smash your windows. I've seen your face, watch your back I know where you live, people will come to get you.”
Sallie called 999 but the woman continued to attack, spitting and nearly forcing Sallie into on-coming traffic. When Sallie’s mother, Lynn, arrived, the woman began verbally abusing her too. “She kept walking away and then coming back like she would come at me.''
It took the police 20 minutes to arrive, by which point the woman had run away.
Sallie says the police told her they wouldn't arrest the woman that night, despite knowing who she was, as it would reveal who had informed on her.
“I felt awful”, Sallie says “She knows where I live. I was shaking. I was terrified.”
The police asked if Sallie and her friend would be willing to make a statement but when Sallie called the station the next day she was told the case was closed, because she had ‘refused to make a statement and did not want the woman to be arrested' - Sallie maintains this is untrue.
After almost three weeks of fighting, the case has now been reopened, but she has still not been asked to make a statement.
Sallie believes the drug users are from St Mungo's support centre, on Uxbridge Road and have broken her gate numerous times to gain entry to her property as it is secluded.
Gemma Hollingshead, St Mungo's Press Manager, said,“We are currently investigating a complaint from Ms Campbell and will take appropriate action when we’ve completed that investigation, if necessary alongside other agencies such as Ealing Safer Communities Team and Elthorne Safer Neighbourhood Team.”
Sallie has also appealed for help from her local Labour MP, Virendra Sharma. His case worker told us, ''We are aware of Ms Campbell’s case. We are still waiting for a response from Ealing council. We will have an answer for her by the 14th of February. We wrote to Ealing council reporting antisocial behaviour. One thing we can do is set up a team to help Ms Campbell which would involve the police, the council and her daughter’s school. We may look to install CCTV or a security door. We have asked Ealing council if they can relocate her.”
Sallie, a trainee swimming teacher, is currently staying at a friend’s house in Hanwell sleeping on the floor with her daughter. She has not been home for three weeks due to the trauma of the incident and says she is losing hair due to stress and has recently been put on antidepressants.
“I don’t really like taking them, but I’ve been so jumpy and shaky. My daughter is really upset. She misses her cats and her toys. She isn’t sleeping. I just want to move…I need to stay near my mum for child care, so I can afford to work. I just want to get away from Uxbridge Road, Cherington Road…I don’t want to go anywhere near the clock tower anymore. The council put benches there and now people congregate there to drink – I don’t know why they did it!”
Sallie posted her experiences on Facebook through ‘Hanwell Friends’ and received over 600 responses. She has set up a crowd fund page for her a deposit for a new home. It currently stands at over £400.
An Ealing Council spokesperson told us: '' Ealing Council’s community safety officers met with Ms Campbell on Tuesday (6 February) and agreed a plan of action to tackle the issues she has identified which will include working with the local police and council housing service. Ms Campbell has indicated she is happy with the approach being taken.''
A police spokesperson said: '' Police were contacted on Monday, 22 January by a woman reporting threatening behaviour in Cherington Road, Hanwell. Officers from Ealing investigate. No arrests; enquiries continue.
''Ealing Police are working closely with Ealing Council to tackle the issue of drug dealing in some areas of Hanwell.''
Rory Thomas Butler (Reporter)
Email: rory.t.butler@gmail.com
Twitter: @rorythomasb
7 February 2018 (updated)