Charlie Henry, 24, was horrified when a family friend found what appeared to be drug paraphernalia in the cupboard under the sink in the kitchen at her new Paisley flat
A distraught young woman was left in tears after discovering a homemade ‘drugs device’ in her new council flat. Charlie Henry, 24, was appalled when a family friend unearthed the concerning object concealed within the kitchen cupboard beneath the sink of her Paisley residence.
The student had recently moved into her Foxbar area home in mid-July but remained oblivious to the presence of the item until August 23. While redecorating with assistance from her father and a friend, they stumbled upon the alarming find of suspected drug paraphernalia, tucked away at the back of the cupboard.Charlie suspects that the smoking apparatus might have been utilised by a former occupant.
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Speaking to the Daily Record, Charlie expressed her shock: “It looks like a crackpipe. When my dad’s friend pulled it out from the cupboard I was mortified.”
“I have been using that cupboard since I moved in completely unaware that it was sitting there.
“We were pulling all the cleaning bottles out of the cupboard when my dad’s friend noticed it up the back.
“The discovery has deeply disturbed me. I just burst into tears. I can’t believe I’ve been allowed to move into a new home that hasn’t even been cleared out properly after the old tenant.
“It’s really unsettling to think someone was using drugs in here before. I’m really worried about what I’ll find next.”
The makeshift device consists of an old plastic water bottle with tin foil wrapped around its lid and an empty pen pierced through its side.
Photographs presented to the Record by Charlie reveal smoke damage within the bottle and scorch marks on the tinfoil.
Charlie disposed of the improvised device but remains determined to secure answers from the council.
She commented: “It has made me feel really uneasy. I’ve just been on edge ever since we found it. You can tell it has clearly been lit and used.
“I’ve been living here for almost a month not knowing something like that was there. I’ve had my six-year-old nephew around. What if he found it? It is just shocking.
“I think the council needs to investigate this.”
Charlie has also revealed her fear of clearing out a storage cupboard filled with the former tenant’s belongings.
She added: “I’m terrified that I’ll find more drug items. If that was under the kitchen sink what else could there be?”
“The council should be ensuring that is cleared out. I’m not wanting to do it and I can’t use it until I know its safe.”
Council officials have issued an apology to Charlie and pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into the suspected drugs paraphernalia.
Authorities confirmed they performed a comprehensive cleaning of the property, including the kitchen interior.
A spokesperson for Renfrewshire Council said: “We’re sorry to hear of this issue and will be investigating it thoroughly and updating our tenant.
“This flat followed the standard process we have for any property we are preparing to re-let. It was cleared out by a specialist contractor prior to being made ready-to-let by our Building Services department. This included cleaning inside the kitchen units. The property was then inspected by our Repairs and Maintenance Officer before being re-let.”