Minister tours 'crack house' road

The suspected crack houses were closed in Reading's Oxford Road

The Leader of the House of Commons has met residents whose lives were blighted by a crack house that has since been closed down by police.

Labour MP Peter Hain, accompanied by Reading MP Martin Salter, toured Oxford Road in Reading, Berkshire, to see former crack den sites on Monday.

A property in Foxglove Gardens was the first to be closed in the area using the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003.

Suspected crack houses have been raided in Windermere Road and Josephine Court.

Mr Salter said: "I know myself that residents' quality of life really suffers when dealers set up these drugs dens.

"It is absolutely vital that the police and local authority have to move quickly to close down crack houses, get addicts into treatment and put the dealers behind bars."

Mr Hain also met police officers, drugs workers and health professionals who work with drug addicts.