Families 'living in terror' at hands of nightmare neighbour

Mums say they are now ‘prisoners’ in their own homes after a spate of incidents including the man having "drunken sex" in a hot tub he installed in the communal gardens.

The Local Democracy Reporter Service spoke to three mums outside their Livv Housing apartment complex in Knowsley. The women, who the LDRS agreed not to name, shared their "terror" and "confusion" at what is happening in their home.

The women moved into the block around five years ago, when the flats were mostly tenanted with young parents who had created a caring and supportive community. The families have forged lifelong friendships and said they worked hard to make the block a fun and safe place for their children to enjoy.

According to the mums this all changed a few months ago when a single man – who we will refer to as Mr A – was moved into the block. They claim Mr A instantly began making trouble, with the first incident occurring on his first night in the flats. 

One mum said: “It was raining outside and the kids were playing on the landing and he came out and shouted at them. They were very upset so I went around and introduced myself and saw he was drunk. It was scary and alarm bells were ringing straight away.

“The next night a woman moved in and she was lounging on the stairs drunk with a bottle. Then they started having huge blazing rows, shouting and running around the block and intimidating everyone. Simply put, we don’t feel safe anymore.”

Livv Housing says it is aware of the families’ concerns and is working hard with partners to support tenants and is trying to gather sufficient evidence to take appropriate enforcement action.

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All the parents we spoke to recounted an incident earlier this year when Mr A installed a hot tub in the communal garden. One mum said: “People use that garden all the time including the kids to play football and the next minute this fella and his girlfriend are having drunken sex in this hot tub.

“Someone went over and told them to pack it in but they didn’t care because they were so drunk.”

The tenants claim Mr A’s erratic behaviour has evolved from minor altercations to all out intimidation. After a resident complained directly to Mr A, they claim he spent the rest of the night running around the block, banging on doors and throwing paint over their front door.

They claim Mr A also continues to use his car despite being disqualified from driving. The mums said he recently crashed his car into a playing field close to their homes. Merseyside Police have confirmed Mr A was subsequently arrested and charged in relation to these alleged offences.

One woman said: “He should never have been put in here. We’re just young mums here and I don’t know what they [Livv Housing] were thinking about.”

Another mum said: “It’s so annoying how the system works because it was never going to work him being there. He’s drunk, he’s driving dangerously, he’s running around the block shouting and screaming and kicking people’s doors. A complete nightmare.

“My kids are terrified. One of them won’t even leave the flat until we confirm the coast is clear and he’s not on the landing. I’m up the wall and on medication because of it. We feel absolutely trapped and it’s like we’re prisoners in our own home.”

Livv Housing looking to take enforcement action

Sharon Marsh, executive director of Customer Insight at Livv Housing said: “We were made aware of the issues relating to this address in late May 2024 and have been in regular contact with the police and support services.

“One of our dedicated Community Safety Advisors has been supporting customers affected and in the last week we have gathered sufficient evidence to enable us to move forward with appropriate enforcement action.

“Our customers’ safety is our absolute priority – we’re here to support them, we take their complaints very seriously and we are working hard with our partners to come to a solution that reassures them of this. While the investigation is ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

Merseyside Police confirmed the road traffic incident and the LDRS understands he has been charged. A spokesperson for Merseyside Police added: “We take all reports of antisocial behaviour seriously and would encourage anyone with any concerns to contact us.

“We meet on a weekly basis with partners including housing providers and the local authority to ensure that everybody can live in a happy and peaceful environment.”