The following is an article that I wrote for the South Wales Evening Post yesterday.
I HAVE been contacted by residents of Neath about problems within the town centre. They tell me about fighting, stabbings, drunkenness and drug taking on the streets in full view of passers-by including children.
I know that since the start of the pandemic, a number of homeless people have been housed in hotels within the town centre. I am told that this has exacerbated the already existing anti-social and criminal behaviour taking place day and night.
Neath is an historic market town which has served local communities for centuries. Neath Fair dates from the middle ages and the town's indoor market is popular with shoppers from miles around.
For the sake of the traders and businesses in the town as well as their customers, action must be taken to address these problems urgently.
I fully understand why the council used hotels to house people who were on the streets as a quick fix when the pandemic struck last year. But there have been unintended consequences from this action. Neath has undoubtedly seen a worsening in anti-social behaviour as a result.
I will be meeting police chiefs shortly when I will raise these complaints. I have also asked NPT Council for data about how many people have been accommodated in Neath, how much has it cost taxpayers and how many are still being housed locally.
We cannot have a situation where illegal activities take place openly on the streets of the town. This is not acceptable and those people who are unable to abide by the rules of civilised society need to be dealt with by police who already have the powers to arrest and charge them if necessary.
Neath cannot be ruined by the actions of a selfish minority whose bad behaviour is destroying the quality of life for the majority.