Residents near a former care home are “living in fear” says a leading councillor.

Loud music blares out most nights on the site of the old Pow Beck care home, on Meadow Road, Whitehaven, as youths congregate to drink.

And county and district councillor Mike Hawkins says the noise and litter is a problem he is determined to try and get sorted.

The home closed back in 2018 and it has now been sold by the county council to a man, believed to be from the Birmingham area.

But Coun Hawkins said it is a real eyesore, with litter strewn about everywhere, despite the site being fenced off

“This needs sorted. We are in dark nights and people are frightened with all the anti-social behaviour,” he said.

“There are elderly people living in St Andrew’s Court nearby. They just don’t need this.

“I am determined to keep this on the agenda and try to solve this problem. It is a blight on the estate at the moment.”

He said he was working with Copeland council’s environmental health team on the issue.

Coun Hawkins is also pleading with parents to warn their children not to go into the site, for their own safety as well as to prevent a nuisance.

“If children go in there they could fall and hurt themselves,” he added. “Parents also have to take responsibility and tell them that it is wrong to go in there.

“Everybody has to play their part to help sort this.

“When you leave something unattended you know what’s going to happen, kids are going to get in and they are going to wreck it.

“But we have to deal with it as the residents nearby should not have to deal with all this anti-social behaviour.

“I got it secured after kids were getting in through the skylights but they are still getting in elsewhere.

“And the rubbish that is there is awful. It is a real mess.”

The issue has been brought to the attention of the Copeland community hub with a meeting being set up with police to try and get on top of the issue.

Fellow Copeland councillor Carl Walmsley is also up in arms over the situation.

He added: “We are clearly stuck in a rut it is now private property.

“Sadly nothing is going to change in the short term as the new owner resides in Birmingham and probably hasn’t even seen the building.

“I have arranged regular walks around the estate with myself and the police to try and combat anti-social behaviour and I’m hoping to get around with my youngest son this weekend to bag up the visible rubbish.

“All I can do is ask the kids to show a bit of respect in the area and tidy up after them selves.

“And I’m happy to arrange regular visits and clean ups myself until the problem is resolved.”

The county council opened a new residential care home in Hensingham this year, which replaced four care homes across Copeland, including Pow Beck.