ANGRY residents have called on Basildon Council to clear up a park which has become a playground for drug users.

Shocking pictures have revealed the full extent of drug use and drug dealing going on in an overgrown area of Mopsies Park in Basildon.

The pictures show an area hidden behind bushes, which is covered in needles, spoons and wraps, plus other drugs paraphernalia.

It is believed drug users buy heroin and crack cocaine from dealers before taking the Class A in the area, which is just a stone’s from nearby homes in Hockley Green.

One resident, in her sixties, who asked not to be named, said: “Someone was trimming their hedge and dropped their cutters over the fence and when they went round to find them they found all this.

“We have always got people coming into the park and we know they are dealing. I see lots of people there.

“It has been going on for a while and you get to the point where you just want to keep your curtains shut because you don’t want to see what goes on.

“It’s a really nice area, but this is ridiculous. They are scum of the earth.

“When I hear voices I feel like I just want them to leave me alone and I don’t want grief.

“It feels worrying and it’s really getting us down.”

The gates to the park are closed in the evening, but that hasn’t stopped people climbing over residents’ fences in the night to get to the den.

Residents have tried to get action from Basildon Council, but said nobody there had returned their calls.

The resident added: “All you get is a machine and no one phones you back. It’s really stressful.

“I can’t handle it. It’s as if no one is listening, especially the council.”

A council spokesman said: “The council would like to thank these residents for bringing this to our attention.

“We will look into the matter to assess what action can be taken and add the site to our antisocial behaviour list, which will ensure partner agencies are aware of the problem.”