A BUSINESS has been forced to lay off staff and was driven to the brink of closure due to security problems - including risks posed by drug users.

Originally, the site on Portrack Lane, Stockton, was a petrol filling station and car showroom, but when that closed the building was boarded up.

However, since Charles Shaw took over the site and began operating from there as a business converting vehicles to liquid petroleum gas from petrol, he has encountered many security problems.

He said: "My forecourt is used by foot traffic as a shortcut, many of these are children who tamper with vehicles as they pass through.

"It is also used by many vehicles as a race track to turn their cars around. A lady that worked here was nearly ran down one day by a speeding car.

"I also keep finding heroin needles all over the forecourt."

Mr Shaw's showroom is boarded up with broken glass behind. He cannot afford to remove the wood as the windows would be broken, which would result in more cost.

He said: "I have invested a lot of money into improving the garage and creating new jobs, but because of the problems I cannot expand any more and make any further improvements.

"It is getting to the point where I am having to lay people off. I cannot carry on much longer like this, and if I cannot trade from here I will have to make more redundancies and shut the garage down."

In a bid to improve the area Mr Shaw applied to Stockton Borough Council for planning permission to build a 2.4m security fence and gates, which he believes would make it a safer area.

He also plans to remove all the boarding and introduce plants and greenery.

He said: "People have commented that the area looks better than it has for years, but I lose a lot of trade as people think that I am shut down because of the way it looks."

Councillors met on Friday to approve plans for the security fence, subject to it being put back a couple of metres