Brentwood, once a beautiful family home on Wigan Lane, has been left empty after a planning application for 30 apartments fell through two years ago.

Since then, the impressive house has been left untouched, and has been targeted by vandals who have trashed the inside and started fires on numerous occasions.

And now the landowner Cuerden Developments Ltd, has found evidence of drug taking on the site.
Owner Keith Lowe said: "Drugs are being taken there. We have found a lot of drug paraphernalia – things like heroin silver paper twisted on a table and lighters.

"I don't like it and I don't know what we can do about it.
"There's an eight foot wall that runs through the building. It shouldn't be accessible at all. It's boarded off but people have tried to burn it down three times."

Mr Lowe is now worried about youths climbing over the wall and hanging around on the site as it poses a danger to them.
He added: "I want to put it in the public domain and I want to get across if kids are going over there they wouldn't want to.
"It's quite a prominent place in Wigan Lane."

Cuerden Developments is currently considering new plans for the site, which he hopes will be met with approval.
Ward councillor Henry Cadman was involved in the opposition to the previous application but hopes something will be done about the site.

He said: "It has been going on four years and he has submitted plans in the past which have not been met with approval.
"Since then the Mr Lowe has genuinely been trying to produce something which suits the neighbourhood and tried to save Brentwood.

"He has been plagued with vandalism and gone through a great deal of trouble to protect the place.
"It's a shame to see it now in that state. It's very sad and we would like something done – the sooner the better.
"I just hope his next plans are ok."