An Arbroath mum says she “doesn’t feel safe” raising her child in their council home.
Abbie Hogg has lived on Arbirlot Road for just over a year with her partner Callum McCrory and their young baby.
During their time in the flat, the young family say two neighbours have died, their baby’s bedroom window has been broken, and they have been harassed.
Abbie, 22, says she lives in the fear of not knowing what they will face next.
She told The Courier: “Our baby can’t sleep because his window has been broken since we moved in.
“The council fitted a new pain of glass and then the window was hanging off the hinges.
“He gets kept up from all the noise outside the flat at all hours of the night.
“There’s always loads going on and so much noise.
“I don’t feel safe raising my child here.
“I can’t even take him outside because there’s loads of glass, dog poo and rubbish everywhere.”
Arbroath council flat ‘like living in a drug den’ for young family
The family complained to Angus Council several times about the property and their anti-social neighbours.
Abbie claims the housing officer told them it was a really nice area before they moved in.
When they complained, they were allegedly told the flat was okay and they could only receive a new one for medical reasons.
Abbie added: “It’s like living in a drug den.
“Constant doors slamming and once we came back to the flat to find our neighbour had been setting things on fire.
“I was pregnant at the time and our house was filled with smoke which wouldn’t be good for anyone.
“There’s rubbish everywhere. Sofas and mattresses are often just abandoned around the building.
“Whenever we hear anything we think ‘what’s happening now’.
“We’re not bad people, we’re just a young family.
“I struggle with my mental health and the anxiety of living here makes it so much worse.”
Angus Council ‘aware of concerns’ at Arbroath property
A spokesperson for Angus Council said: “Whilst the council cannot comment on individual cases, we can confirm that we are aware of concerns surrounding Angus Council housing on Arbirlot Road.
“Action has been taken where appropriate, including a contractor visit today.
“We continue to monitor this situation and where further action is required this will be taken to ensure the wellbeing of tenants.
“We accept housing applications from current tenants via Angus HomeFinder which offers a choice-based lettings approach, allowing applicants to view details on, choose between, and bid for available properties in line with our housing allocation policy.
“If residents have any concerns around anti-social behaviour, they should report this to Angus Council via ACCESSLine online or by calling 03452 777 778, their concerns will then be passed to the relevant service for investigation.”
Elsewhere in Angus, a Montrose care worker who stole £10,000 from a client has been struck off.
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