A community in Glasgow's southside say they're "scared" of streets in their area due to them being "unlit" while being "rife for drug deals."
Members of the Laurieston area attended the community's first meeting of the new Community Council, which was held on Tuesday, October 28, 2025.
At the meeting, many issues were raised to be taken forward to councillors and officials by the locals, one of which was a main offending street next to the River Clyde.
"I'm afraid to walk down Carlton Place at night", one local said, while many in the room nodded in agreement.
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Continuing, they said: "It needs more lighting, and the lights that are there are broken; it's almost pitch black walking down there at night. I won't do it.
"Between there at night and then there's the blatant drug dealing on the swingy bridge [South Portland St Suspension Bridge], you can see them passing the drugs between them", they added.
The council say they're "aware" of a range of issues in the area, but are working with the Police and the community on them.
There are also works underway to fix and upgrade lighting on the street, and further development is planned in Laurieston.
A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: “We are aware of a range of issues affecting the Laurieston area, including Carlton Place, and we are working with the community and Police Scotland to address these issues.
“Improvements to street lighting in the area are being made as part of the development of South Portland Street Avenue.
“We are also currently awaiting the delivery of new lanterns for Bridge St and we working on plans for new lighting for the footbridge
“Any faults with lighting columns in the area are being repaired as they are reported to us.
“The works currently underway in South Portland St works include plans for a CCTV camera to be added to the footbridge, which will provide coverage of Carlton Place.
“We are also looking at wider, long-term improvements in North Laurieston and have begun consulting on the development of a masterplan alongside the local housing association.”
Police Scotland say that they have "high-visibility" cops who patrol problem areas in the city when asked about Carlton Place and the community's fears.
Chief Inspector Paul Daley from Police Scotland said: “We deploy a combination of high-visibility patrols and plain-clothed officers to focus on any areas where any criminality or antisocial behaviour is highlighted.
"Additional patrols will be directed to wherever such incidents are taking place.
“We also carry out regular proactive operations to target those involved in drug-related activity throughout Glasgow and act on any information we receive.
“Officers work with a full range of partners to address any local issues highlighted and work together to resolve them effectively.
“Anyone who witnesses any antisocial behaviour is encouraged to report it as soon as possible. Information can be passed to police through 101, or 999 in an emergency.”
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