PENZANCE families are afraid to let their children out to play after 11 houses for people with drug and alcohol problems were opened across town without public consultation.

Hundreds of angry residents attacked the district council scheme, raising this point and others, at a special meeting on Tuesday evening.

The Cornishman's request for a list of addresses to be made public was refused. A council spokesperson said it is being addressed under the Freedom of Information Act.

The special town council meeting was held to answer questions about the shared housing scheme, run by Penwith District Council and Providers of Accommodation and Support, (PAS).

PAS works with the council's housing team to run shared houses for single, homeless people, with the aim of helping vulnerable individuals back into independent living. The properties are leased to the council by Charles Terrence Estates, (CTE).

There are 11 houses in Penzance within the PAS scheme, which homes people who can prove a local connection, and who are free of drugs and dry of alcohol. Nine properties are shared houses and two have self-contained flats.

A total of 25 houses have been found, but the remaining 14 are used for families or are sub-let.

Enraged audience members continually interrupted the panel of council officers, PAS representatives and police.

Council officers and support workers defended the scheme, although they admitted there are problems. They said they were going to work to improve things.

Residents voiced fears the clients were not being supervised enough and claimed beer cans, bottles of methadone and syringes were being left outside the supposedly 'dry' houses.

Mother of two young children Nadine Tonner, of Trewartha Terrace, close to Lannoweth Road, where it has been confirmed there are three shared houses, said: "They're taking over an established family area and these people have become a priority.

"I'm not going to bring my kids up where I have to check for needles in my own garden. We moved from London to get away from all that."

Lannoweth Road resident Mark Butterfield said: "Our kids can't go out because of the needles in the street."

Claims from the panel that houses were drug and alcohol-free were met with cries of "rubbish" and laughs of disbelief.

Dave Trevithick, who lives on Lannoweth Road, said he has photos of needles, beer cans, bottles of methadone and syringes on the street.

The council did not consult the public before running the scheme, as this was not required under planning law.

Allan Hampshire, head of housing, health and community safety, said: "In hindsight, and given the level of interest from residents, our sense of balance may have been skewed. Therefore any changes to the scheme, including changes of sub-leased properties will be done in consultation with residents' groups in future."

This was met with cheers and claps from the audience.

Concerns were high over the amount of residential support within the houses. Gila Trevena, the council's affordable housing co-ordinator, said there is 24-hour cover on a patrol basis. She said the council are listening to concerns and taking them seriously.

But Sasha Rainey, of Lannoweth Road, said afterwards: "The security isn't good enough. We want 24-hour cover in each house."

More than 130 questions were submitted to the council before the meeting.

But Terry Kendall, of the recently established 'Save Penzance Action Group', said: "I feel incredibly disappointed. There's a lot of questions not answered. I've come away feeling empty. They were weak and watery answers."