18th
Jan 2022
Residents of a Rotherham estate claim that landlords have had to accept cannabis farms in their properties as 'gangs pay landlords £3,000 a week not to ask questions' which bluntly means their offers cannot or should not be refused.
The residents claim that where they live is virtually a 'forgotten estate' and are having to put with landlord rental properties being used as ‘cannabis farms’, as drug dealers and ‘heavies’ are giving landlords as much as £3,000 per week, for mostly run down terraced properties, in return for "no questions being asked."
This shocking ongoing ‘growing’ problem has come to light after residents reported that two landlords with properties in the Eastwood area of Rotherham were offered ‘gang rental terms’ in December last year.
Residents on the estate are worried sick that more and more landlords will and have joined the ‘gang industry’ as more lettings signs are regularly appearing.
The Rotherham Eastwood estate rentals are some of the cheapest in South Yorkshire with landlords getting no more than £90 per week and as low as £60 per week.
John Gargett a lifelong resident of Rotherham told Yorkshire Live news portal that the ‘Stayquiet’ terms are hard to turn down as: "Landlords here are getting £60 a week and they will snap their fingers at £3000 a week."
Other concerned residents have told the Yorkshire news portal that gangs/dealers possess a list of landlords in the estate and have at times even approached them on their doorsteps to try to ‘welcome’ them on board.
Garrett added: "They have been knocking on doors. Somehow they got this list and are on a drive.”
Police activity in Eastwood heightened when it was reported in December that the force carried out several raids and arrests.
Yorkshire Live also reported that in one address in the estate, police discovered that two houses had been successfully converted into one by ‘removing’ the adjoining walls.
However residents who saw the clear outs took photos and firmly believe that the two houses had been converted into a multi-storey multi-terrace cannabis farm.
One resident has campaigned against this practise by regularly tipping off police about drug related activities but fully understands that landlords do not have another option other than to comply as: "If they live here then there is a risk of harm.
"If you don't take the money you could be taken out I suppose.
"There is economic pressure to accept the offers but there is also physical harm fears. It would sensible but immoral to take the offer. But what good are morals when you are dead?"
Richard Merrick of PIMS, says: “This gang and landlord ‘co-operation’ will no doubt be widespread across the UK especially in lower income areas, unfortunately a sign of the times in the ongoing pandemic, lockdowns and unemployment.”
News Archive »