DRUG dealers are targeting children as young as 13 in a bid to lure them into a life of drug abuse and crime, angry residents claimed this week.

People at a public meeting in St Margaret's Church Hall, Horsforth, on Monday said they had seen youngsters being pressured by dealers and that the drugs problem was escalating in Horsforth.

During the meeting of the Aireborough, Horsforth and Otley Police Community Forum, two women spoke of their fears for youngsters in the town - and maintained that heroin was easily available on the streets.

"They are targeting our kids," said one. "It has got that bad. There are a lot of frustrated people here - we have dealers in our street who deal with young children and it is a major problem that needs addressing.

"You see dealers hanging about on some street corners, waiting for youngsters.

"And it's not just drugs like heroin which are the danger - it's the crimes associated with the drugs that we're worried about."

Another said: "It is getting now that they are targeting children as young as 13 or 14.

"The dealers sit there in their cars, waiting to 'pounce' on the young ones."

Town and city councillor Andy Barker, who is chairman of the town council's law and order committee, said the problems with drugs were escalating throughout Horsforth.

"A lot of organised crime is behind this drug dealing. If you take out one drug dealer there is always another behind them. Police need to target the users as well because they are the ones who break into our cars, our houses and cause aggravation.

"People want the users taking out as well as the dealers."

His calls were backed by retired detective chief inspector Mick Grubb, now a town councillor.

"There is a great problem with drugs in Horsforth, not just with youngsters - and police need to target users as well as dealers."

After the meeting, head teacher at Horsforth School Steve Jex said he took pains at ensuring that pupils were well educated about drugs.

"Our personal and social education programme, which was praised by Ofsted, warns pupils of the dangers associated with drugs, so we are taking the problems seriously," he said.

At the forum meeting, new Weetwood Division Commander Francis Habgood said that the police would follow up residents' concerns.

"When we receive information about any crime, not just drug-related, it is always acted upon. You may not see the result of it immediately, but it is always picked up, sometimes it is a case of that piece of information only making up part of a larger picture which takes time for us to put together.

"There is quite a long process of tying things together, but I can reassure people that we are active in tackling these problems."

"If people have information, I would urge them to contact us."

He pointed out that drug abuse and targeting youngsters was a problem not just confined to Horsforth.