Drug gangs are ‘lording it over’ the community, a concerned Vineburgh resident has claimed.

Despite dealers’ ‘doors being put in’ by police, the resident says people are living in fear of criminals profiting through misery and even claims that murderous Londoners the Krays ‘were more reputable’.

The resident raised the alarm to police at a meeting of Irvine Community Council, where one member previously complained that “junkies are fighting in the streets everyday”, after incidents in the town centre.

Speaking about Caldon Road, the resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “People are scared in the area, and they’re too terrified to say to anybody.

“I’m actually scared sometimes to walk there and I’m used to that area. It has got so bad. There are criminals lording it over. There are [dealers] who are known living there and it’s actually quite horrible.

Irvine Times: Concern raised at recent meeting of Irvine Community CouncilConcern raised at recent meeting of Irvine Community Council

“The police do know about them, their doors have already been put in. I would go as far as to say that it is common knowledge to people in the area.

“I would say the Kray Twins were actually more reputable than these individuals – they were gangsters but they had some respect in their community.”

Sgt Douglas Clark urged anyone with information to phone 101 or Crimestoppers to help police obtain warrants.

He said: “You say the police know about it, but if we have searched a house there we then have to start again. We can’t go back to the Sheriff and say, ‘we’ve turned him before on drugs, we’ll go again’, the Sheriff won’t take that.

”We need to keep building the picture, it has to be fresh all the time.”

We recently reported Irvine West Cllr Louise McPhater’s call for decriminalisation of drug users to end the devastating impact of deaths in the community.

She said: “Families are being left without sons and daughters, mums and dads, aunties and uncles, nieces and nephews and yet we still demonise the victims whilst the real villains rake in the cash.

“I am absolutely sick of seeing the impact this is having on my friends and neighbours in this community – we need urgent change.”