BOATS close to Jericho's former Castle Mill Boatyard have been turned into drug dens, according to local residents.

Residents believe the derelict yard is attracting an increasing number of vagrants to the area.

Boats in nearby Castle Mill Stream have been sunk or used as drug dens, creating an eyesore in an area many believe should be an attractive gateway to the city for people on the canal.

Residents say the problem could get worse if the stalemate continues between a developer and the city council.

In December, the council rejected plans by developer Spring Residential to build 54 flats on the Castle Mill Boatyard site. It is unused while developers are considering an appeal.

Adrian Arbib, a boatyard supporter and Jericho resident, said: "There have always been drug users in the area and it has always been scruffy in places, but never to the degree it is at the moment.

"One boat was left abandoned and heroin addicts got on it. Genuine boaters do not want people shooting up in the hedges, they want a clean environment.

"Quite simply, if the boatyard were in use, this would not be happening.

"The problems are synonymous with not having a boatyard - that's what happens when a site gets left derelict.

"The problem now is that it's been left to rot through bad planning.

"There is undoubtedly a feeling in Jericho that the area is in decline."

In December, boatyard campaigners, led by Oxford author Philip Pullman, gave councillors a standing ovation when they rejected Spring Residential's plans.

But without planning permission Spring Residential said it remained uncertain of its next step and was "in the hands of the Planning Inspectorate".

Jenny Mann, secretary of the Jericho Community Association, said: "As residents, we would much rather the boatyard were back.

"It was an active space. The boaters supervised it. It was industrious - it employed people who supervised the area and the canal - but the lack of a boatyard is definitely bringing the area down.

"It means a once active area has become a neglected, derelict space.

"The boatyard contributed to the standard of boats on the water. Without it, there is a real problem. The area is suffering as a result and it is a great worry."

Gemma Elwood, a spokesman for British Waterways, said: "We no longer own the boatyard site and it is now the responsibility of Spring Residential."

Andy Wilkins, managing director at Spring Residential, said: "We are currently considering our options but are minded to appeal. We are not considering going back to the drawing board necessarily. We could go back to the council with the same plans."