Time to face up to Spalding’s drug problem

It’s time to ‘face up’ to Spalding’s drug and shoplifting problems by overhauling our health services, says a senior councillor and charity worker.

South Holland district councillor Rob Gibson says there is no rehabilitation facility in Lincolnshire – and wants to see a more joined up approach between councils and different branches of the health service in a bid to tackle the town’s issues with addictions.

Shopwatch co-ordinator Stuart Brotherton reported to the last Spalding Town Forum meeting that 90% of shoplifting incidents in the town are carried out by people with ‘entrenched’ drug and alcohol issues.

Substance misuse problems have come to the forefront in recent months with two separate sightings of a man injecting drugs into his penis in central Spalding along with drinking and other forms of anti-social behaviour.

A total of 220 adults and young people in the Spalding area are currently being treated for addictions by With You – but there are fears that the actual number of people with problems is higher.

A Freedom of Information request submitted by this paper has found that Lincolnshire Police received 138 reports of shoplifting in the town between January 1 and September 14 this year – compared with 82 reports for the entire previous year. Officers this year have made 22 arrests and, of those, 15 were repeat offenders.

Coun Gibson, who is speaking as a county and district councillor but also works with a homeless charity, said: “I think it is a problem that we don’t really face up to.

“90% of shoplifting in Spalding is to feed drug and alcohol problems - that creates a lot of misery for shops and traders who lose money because of a single problem, if you take the people out of the situation. I don’t want to be disparaging on peoples’ problems but it has a knock-on effect.

“To me it feels like there need to be a wider piece of work between the NHS, district councils and Lincolnshire County Council.”

Coun Gibson cited heroin, cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy as the main drugs in use in the South Holland area.

And he has highlighted that addiction is the core problem with some of the social issues which are now taking prominence in the district – such as homelessness and shoplifting.

Coun Gibson has expressed concerns about the services available in Lincolnshire for people with drugs issues.

He said: “It is a trap when you are on drugs, it is like you are stuck in a well and it is difficult to get out of it.

“Not everyone on drugs want to stay on drugs. Some are just after help and support but find it very difficult to find a package of support to give them what they need to sustain their life.

“One of the biggest problems I find is there is no rehab in Lincolnshire. There are private rehabs. You can get hospital rehab but there is no residential rehab in Lincolnshire on the NHS.”

He feels that the drug and alcohol service, We Are With You, and the NHS should work together.

Coun Gibson, who is raising the issues with the county council, said: “We definitely need a more joined up approach to things. This is something we need to be looking at for policies to help our residents in Lincolnshire and I am going to have a conversation to see what we can do.

“It is not going to get better if we don’t do anything about it. If we don’t do anything then the problems are going to stay and potentially get worse.

“To help with the shoplifting problem they need to deal with drug and alcohol service, which is a different budget and separate from the NHS if they do that it might be able to help with business owners and reduce shoplifting.”

Mr Brotherton has been calling for stronger sentences for shoplifters

He said: “Our shop thefts in town and Sleaford – 90% are carried out by people with drug and alcohol issues. I don’t think I have come across anyone who has committed theft because of cost of living crisis.

“I would urge the courts to look at how they tackle and deal with people with entrenched alcohol and drug issues – that is the solution of shop thefts.”

Karen Ratcliff, Service Manager for With You in Lincolnshire: “In collaboration with our partners, With You provides a free and confidential service for adults and young people affected by drugs and alcohol across Lincolnshire, including Spalding. We work with people on their own goals, whether that’s getting a bit of advice, cutting down drug or alcohol use or stopping completely.

“At With You, we believe in treating everyone with respect and dignity. We are committed to breaking down stigma and raising awareness about the impact it has because we know ending it will improve society as a whole.”

A spokesman for Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said that its teams - and With You - work closely to provide support for people’s mental health and that no-one is excluded.

They added: “As a Lincolnshire health and care system there has been lots of work around dual diagnosis (where people have both a mental health need and problems with drug and alcohol) to bring together all relevant services and wrap appropriate care and support around people when they need it. We will continue to work closely with our partners to ensure people have the right care, at the right time.”

What could be done to tackle town drug issues? Let us know your views in the comments below