Christchurch residents have begged a council committee to end the "ongoing hell" they've lived with for six years, with prostitutes working outside their properties in the residential part of Manchester Street.
They want a bylaw put in place to stop the sex trade in the area, but police have said it's not a law they can enforce.
Former resident Giles Goulden lived in the area for 20 years but says he was forced out by the "atrocities" they witnessed.
He says, "We'd like you to approved a bylaw or you'll be committing us to an ongoing hell".
He was asked to described the atrocities by the regulatory committee and replied: "We got a puppy, eight weeks old, he was chewing something and we discovered it was a used condom.
"We find used needles, faeces and people fornicating in our back yards. Do you want to know more?"
"We're saying help us as residents."
Another resident, Matt Bonis, said police have stopped coming when they call.
"We’ve had threats to burn our house down and the police didn’t come."
The police have dropped their support for the bylaw, saying it would be difficult to enforce. (Source: Other)
He says he and his neighbours have been forced to install gates and padlocks to keep the sex workers off their properties.
"One of my neighbours couldn’t work out why a sex worker would defecate on her lawn, and then use her four years olds clothing off the line to clean herself."
The Committee also heard a deputation from the Prostitutes Collective, who expressed sympathy for the experiences of residents, but oppose a bylaw because it would imply a criminal aspect to the work.
They say it would be more beneficial to work with sex workers, using a non-regulatory approach, as a community to change the behaviours.
The committee will vote this morning on a recommendation to the Christchurch City Council.
The meeting continues.
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