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Nine-year-olds 'dealing in drugs' Community to tackle child drugs
(about 6 hours later)
Children as young as nine in north Belfast are both taking and dealing in drugs, according to a community group in the area. Community workers are to launch a campaign to tackle the problem of children taking and dealing in drugs.
Parents say youngsters are stealing not only to feed their habit, but to keep the dealers away from them. Parents in Ligoniel in north Belfast said children as nine are stealing, not only to feed their habit, but to keep the dealers away from them.
Maria Morgan, of the Ligoniel Improvement Association, said the community must deal with the problem. Maria Morgan, of the Ligoniel Improvement Association, said the community was now uniting to deal with the problem.
She said: "What we need to do is get the community (to) take ownership of their area and the drug problem." A public meeting will be held on Monday to discuss a community strategy.
Ms Morgan said a meeting of community organisations had met on Wednesday and decided to hold a public meeting next week.
'Ownership'
Leaflets will be distributed asking residents to attend and bring along anyone affected by the drugs problem.
"What we need to do is get the community (to) take ownership of their area and the drug problem," she said.
"This is evidence that has come from community representatives in the area who the parents have approached," she added."This is evidence that has come from community representatives in the area who the parents have approached," she added.
"Obviously there is that fear of going to the police they don't want their children prosecuted, and there is that tradition that you don't go to the police.""Obviously there is that fear of going to the police they don't want their children prosecuted, and there is that tradition that you don't go to the police."