DRUG addicts in Chai Wan are waging a campaign of terror against the district's elderly people, but victims claim the police are powerless to stop it. Senior citizens complain that addicts are forcing themselves into their homes and then preparing themselves meals - even taking naps - before fleeing. The matter will be raised in the Legislative Council this week by Tam Yiu-chung, who yesterday urged the police to take the situation seriously. He said most of the addicts followed old folk to their homes on Chai Wan Estate after spotting them while they were out shopping or doing other errands. 'Some sleep there, some even cook noodles, but when police arrive they say they can't charge the addicts because nothing has been stolen,' he said. 'This is really ridiculous. Even if the old people have no valuables, the addicts should still be charged for invading their homes. 'The Government should think of some way to prevent this from happening again,' he said. Tang Fok, 86, is one of the victims for whom Mr Tam is seeking justice. Two weeks ago an addict entered her flat on the estate. 'He followed me home, then drank a glass of water, had a rest and then went. I was really scared,' she said. 'I rang the housing office and the police, but they said they could not help. They asked whether the man was one of my friends.' Another victim, 67-year-old Ha Yan-yan, has been robbed three times within two years. 'The latest one was two months ago. When I returned home, a man suddenly came into my flat and snatched my handbag,' said Ms Ha, who lives on public assistance. He took $80 and all her identification documents. 'It is really terrible living here. Sometimes you see drug addicts injecting themselves in front of you,' she said. Wong Ho Yin-long, a member of the estate's mutual committee, said addicts were active in the area because most of the residents in the 30-year-old estate were single old people. 'They are very easy to tackle. They don't have the strength to resist,' she said. According to victims, some addicts posed as workers for Hongkong Telecom or the Water Supply Department in order to gain entry to flats. She said the police should strengthen their patrols in the area, 'otherwise, the situation will become worse and worse'. Chai Wan Police District Commander Lau Tse Kam-har claimed they had not received specific complaints about trespassing, but admitted that many drug addicts operated in the area. But she stressed that if people entered another's home without consent, the police could charge them. She claimed enough police officers patrolled the area. Chief Inspector Henry Ho Ming-sun said trespassing was a civil offence, but officers could still arrest suspects.
