TRADERS in a troubled corner of Worcester are being plagued by gangs of drunks and drug addicts.

People in Lowesmoor say they face a daily battle against anti-social behaviour.

Groups of homeless drunks gather in shop doorways, defecate in alleyways and abuse passers-by.

It is now so bad that police, councillors, shopkeepers and residents have set up an action group to clamp down on the “unacceptable”, “disgusting”, and “outrageous” behaviour that is making their lives a misery.

Yesterday, about 30 people met at the Guildhall, High Street, to discuss the problem. West Mercia Police Chief Inspector Jerry Reakes-Williams admitted police had underestimated how bad the situation had become.

These are just some of the issues raised by traders:

• Gangs of drunks gathering.

• Hypodermic needles left on the ground.

• Drunks urinating and defecating in alleyways; falling asleep in shop doorways; having sex in view of shop workers; abusing customers and harassing people.

• Lack of police presence.

• The authorities refusing to take responsibility.

The meeting was called by Nikki Harrison, of Lowesmoor Wharf Developments.

She said: “People are so disenchanted with the police. It’s been going on for so long.”

Speaking at the meeting, Gabby Beddows, chief executive of Noah’s Ark Trust, said the charity would move out of its Lowesmoor Wharf office when the lease was up, in part because of the anti-social problem.

She said: “We’ve been there three years and we’ve had some awful situations.

“We’ve had children walking out the door to see men urinating. You can’t open the windows because the language is so awful.

“It’s disgusting and because of them we’re having to look for new premises.”

Charles Batch, of the Moorings in Lowesmoor, took the police to task for “talking spin” and demanded action.

He said: “We’re getting fobbed off time and time again. The problem is there is no deterrent. Why don’t you [West Mercia Police] do something? Stop talking and take action.”

Police were called to 56 incidents in Lowesmoor between April and November.

Ch Insp Reakes-Williams, who revealed officers attended 54 of them in person, said they must work together to solve the problem for the long term.

He said: “The message is being received loud and clear. The things you’ve described are totally unacceptable.

“ While we’ve been monitoring problems in Lowesmoor for some time, I was not aware of the extent of the problems. I worry if part of the problem is that people have lost confidence in the police to such an extent that they aren’t reporting incidents.

“I cannot stress enough how important that is because the figures we have aren’t reflecting what we’re talking about here.”

The action group will meet for the first time on Monday, November 30. It will report on progress at a public meeting next March.

Lowesmoor is awaiting a £75 million regeneration, billed as one of the biggest makeovers in Worcester’s modern history. The outline plans for work were approved last year.