NOTHING TO FEAR

A Drug Support Group Is Reassuring Families in a Corby Street They Are in
No Danger From a New Home for People Recovering From Drug And Alcohol Addiction

Can is starting a new centre in York Road aimed at giving people getting
over an addiction a new start in life.

But more than 50 people from the area have signed a petition objecting to
the site, stating they are concerned about the safety of their children.

Trish Manning, 42, who lives in York Road and has a five-year-old daughter
said: "We have not been told much about the centre. All we have to go on
are a lot of rumours and it is very worrying.

"It is not just a case of 'not in my back yard'. Most people in the street
have one or two children and we do not want this on our doorstep.

"Nobody told us this was going to happen. To put these people in a street
full of families is diabolical."

Can already owns several similar houses in Northampton but this is its
first in Corby.

Chief executive James Spence is reassuring people living nearby they will
be perfectly safe.

He said: "We are a community based project and we are responsible to
neighbours and people living nearby.

"We have several residential homes in Northampton and they are very
successful and run very safely. The people who will be at the house are
quite a long way down the road to recovery."

"There has been a lot of gossip about it - it is like Chinese whispers.
People have come to us thinking it will be used for young offenders, but we
wouldn't be responsible for housing them."