A PRIEST staged a public meeting in Blackburn to try and reassure residents over the creation of an £800,000 centre for drug addicts and alcoholics in their community.

Father Jim McCartney said fears over the THOMAS - Those on the Margins of Society - centre in Windsmoor House, Spring Lane, Mill Hill, were "unfounded".

And people who have been helped by the charity and are now drug and alcohol free, also attended to share their stories.

But despite the reassurances, the meeting at Griffin Park Primary School, Cavendish Place, last night, heard from residents still concerned about the project, which has been given planning approval.

The centre will house 25 recovering drug addicts and alcoholics and is expected to open by April.

Father McCartney, founder and chief executive of THOMAS, which has another centre in Blackburn town centre, told the meeting: "I can understand people's concerns, but I want to reassure them that their fears are unfounded.

"We can only benchmark all of this by previous experience.

"It's been going for eight or nine years without anyone coming looking for our graduates.

"All the people on the programme are drug free.

"We hold random drug tests and anyone who has relapsed is immediately removed from the programme.

"People on the programme are not allowed out on their own, and are supervised 24 hours a day."

But Wensley Road resident Ashley Tarry said the centre was a major concern for people living in the area.

Father-of-two Mr Tarry said it would worsen existing problems.

He said: "As much as these people have left their life behind them, a part of their life will try to find them and it's that I am concerned about.

"I find it difficult to believe when you say there won't be people hanging around the corners outside.

"They will still have their relationships which will evolve from their old life."