DRUG dealing and arguments have been witnessed by staff at a children’s nursery since a homeless hostel opened behind it.

On one occasion the nursery owner and its manager challenged a man seen flying a drone over the hostel and close to the nursery boundary as children were playing outside.

Nursery owner Rachel Luntz said: “Stupidly, with hindsight, I went with the nursery manager and confronted him and asked why he was flying a drone and he told us he didn’t fly it over the nursery and said he was flying it to see if his mate was in the hostel.”

Ms Luntz said she informed the man his car registration had been noted and he then became abusive.

As a result of concerns raised Gwent Police has said it will step up patrols in the area around Riverside Nursery, in Chepstow, and the former Severn View old people’s home that has been converted to a homeless hostel.

Monmouthshire County Council was given permission, from its planning committee, in July last year to change the use of then then vacant home, which it owns, despite public opposition. At the time local residents warned they feared it would become a magnet for crime.

Since the hostel opened at the end of July this year staff at the nursery say they have witnessed numerous suspected drug deals, loud arguments including when children have been playing outside and when parents have been dropping them off, and general anti-social behaviour including drinking and people openly smoking cannabis.

Ms Luntz said she is fearful of the impact on the nursery which she has owned for 10 years.

Despite concerns about behaviour around the site she said there is no threat to children within the secure premises.

“The nursery is very secure we have processes in place before and we’ve just tightened them up since the opening of Severn View,” said Ms Luntz.

“The nursery is a very safe environment. There shouldn’t be any impact, and there isn’t any impact, on the children or their safety but that said it’s already had an impact on the business as a parent has decided to withdraw their child from the nursery directly as a result of Severn View.

“More recently we had a response to a questionnaire, which asked ‘would you recommend the nursery?’. They said ordinarily 100 per cent they would but in light of Severn View they were not sure they could do that at the moment.

“I’m not worried about the nursery per say but the area around the nursery and the type of people as it’s damaging to Chepstow.”

Ms Luntz said she understood “high dependency drug users” are housed at the hostel which she believes is incompatible with its location.

The nursery had submitted one of the 159 written objections received by the council to housing up to 17 people in the former care home.

Shortly before the hostel opened Ms Luntz said she and her staff were given a tour of the building but problems began almost immediately.

“We were reassured somewhat, security were there and showed us around and that the nursery wasn’t visible from any windows.

“A couple of days after the visit I was driving back with the nursery manager and we saw a young man in the car park with a bicycle and what was clearly a drug deal taking place and that was within three days of it opening.”

Ms Luntz said the nursery has reported every incident to hostel security and police were also contacted about the drone that was flying overhead.

The council was given permission to only use the south wing of the 32-bed building and has provided 24 hour security on site and CCTV cameras. It had said it intended providing on site support to residents but at a meeting organised by the nursery for parents, and attended by council staff and Gwent Police, it is understood a manager confirmed there is no direct support currently provided at the hostel.

The council has credited use of the Severn View home as massively reducing the amount it has had to spend on temporary accommodation such as bed and breakfast.

Inspector Emma Sowrey, of Gwent Police, who attended the recent meeting said: “We’ve received several reports and allegations of criminal activity and anti-social behaviour in the vicinity of Mounton Road and Regent Way in Chepstow since August of this year.

“Members of the Monmouthshire neighbourhood policing team recently attended a meeting with stakeholders that was hosted and organised by a nursery in Regent Way to hear their concerns.

“We’ve since put a patrol plan in place to address any incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour in the area.”

Monmouthshire council was also contacted for comment.

Gwent Police said information about crime and anti-social behaviour can be reported to it including CCTV or dashcam footage.