A known hot-spot for drug-dealing, drinking and fly-tipping has been cleared up by residents in Weston.

Volunteers have been ‘working tirelessly’ to clean a lane which runs at the back of both Amberey and Kensington roads in town, and the clear up took place over a month in the summer.

The residents of both roads became united in working together to address issues in relation to antisocial behaviour which were taking place in the lane, including drug-dealing, drinking and fly-tipping.

Sue Wilson and her husband helped lead the project and residents began clearing fly-tipped waste and overgrown vegetation from the lanes to tackle the problem in July, after they discovered the lane did not belong to a landowner.

Sue got in touch with James Clayton, who represents Weston South ward for North Somerset Council, and he organised for the authority to remove waste from the area during the project, which was completed in August.

Cllr Clayton praised residents for working together to improve the area, which has been an antisocial behaviour hot-spot for a number of years.

He said: “To see the work that the residents of Amberey and Kensington roads have done in clearing the lane that runs behind the two streets just shows how strong the community spirit is between the two roads.

“Even though the lane isn’t council-owned, I felt the council should support the residents in removing the pile of waste/fly-tipping.

“This has been a hot-spot for a number of years for antisocial behaviour and dumping of waste and residents have now turned it around to make it a safer, cleaner, greener area – long may it continue that way.”

He hopes now the lane is cleared that this should ‘deter any fly-tipping, antisocial drinking or drug use in the area’ and said residents have done a ‘fantastic job’ and showed ‘real community spirit’ when completing the project.

The residents of Amberey and Kensington roads are now in the process of setting up a Neighbourhood Watch scheme, to help prevent antisocial incidents from taking place in the future.

They have also chipped in money to buy and install gates in the lane, which they are in the process of purchasing.