AN elderly Pembroke woman held hostage by drug dealers and prostitutes who regularly congregate on the doorstep of her Bermuda Housing Corporation (BHC) home, is demanding that Government "do its job", and address her problem.

The 63-year-old, who voiced her concerns in the two weeks ago, is upset that the "illegal and anti-social behaviours" she is forced to witness on a daily basis, continue to go ignored by the BHC.

And she painted a picture of a heartless group of Government MPs as her desperate pleas for help to Premier Ewart Brown, Public Safety Minister David Burch, Social Rehabilitation Minister Dale Butler and backbencher Ashfield DeVent, have gone unanswered.

"I blame the Government," she said. "This problem has been going on for 22 years. They know everything that's happening in the area and at the property I'm living on, and they won't do anything about it.

"Clearly I don't understand ? after a year of battling the same situation, despite all my complaints to Government ? why nothing has been done. Government and the BHC know who's making these complaints. None of them have called me."

The property sits in an area in "the back of town" and is managed ? but not owned ? by the BHC.

"I don't have a problem with living in 'the back of town'," the woman insisted. "My problem isn't really even the boys themselves. They're looking to do their thing. They need to go somewhere and they feel it's okay to do it (at my house where) it's obviously been going on for a long time and so they feel welcomed by the landlord and the BHC.

"Basically, Government rented me a crack house - and they knew it.

"The boys just need somebody to care about them. Instead, they have all this pain coming from Government. These boys are angry with Government. They're ailing just like I am. They took the Government to power in '98. They were promised housing, they were promised all sorts of things and (Government) let them down. The system isn't working."

The woman said she has called police on more than one occasion because of the noise and constant traffic the drug dealers bring, but understands that their powers are somewhat limited.

"The way I see it, it's not really a police issue, it's a Government issue," she explained. "The police aren't supposed to be there to guard people's property. That's a job for the Government and if they don't get it right, it's not going to get fixed. The police are doing their best but the Government is leaving everything to the police and from what I gather, it's hard. I don't expect the police to clear up a 20-year battle by themselves. They can't clear it up overnight.

According to the woman she contacted Government ministers for help because the BHC refused to address her problems.

"I've been through hell trying to get help. I've asked consistently and persistently for meetings with Colonel Burch.

"In December I called the Cabinet Office to make an appointment with Dr. Brown," she said, hoping the Premier would make good on a promise that his office would be open to residents on Thursdays. "I spoke with (Dr. Brown's press secretary) Scott Simmons, who said Dr. Brown was very busy, that he was full through late 2007. In the meantime Scott said he would call back and see what could be done to help me. He never called back."

She said she approached Mr. DeVent and Mr. Butler outside the Cabinet Building on the day her initial article was printed in this newspaper.

"Ashfield told me he was surprised things were still going on because he and Colonel Burch (had visited the neighbourhood) and were told everything was fine. When did they go there? They certainly didn't talk with me. How could they take the words of the people causing the problem? All they need to do is look at the graffiti to see it's ongoing.

"When I was talking to Ashfield, Dale Butler came out. I said, 'Mr. Butler, just the one I want to talk to'. He told Ashfield to take my information and said he would give me a call. I think Mr. Butler's playing games too. I've heard nothing from him ? he needs to rehabilitate himself."

She said Mr. DeVent expressed what seemed to be genuine concern, but also let her down.

"I knew Ashfield couldn't help me. I was reluctant to give him my number because I know he can't help me. But he said he would call me that evening to arrange to bring Colonel Burch down there."

Mr. DeVent called the following day and insisted he would visit the day after.

"I haven't heard from him since. But I expected that. I didn't think he could help me, so I wasn't surprised that he never showed up. Colonel Burch makes me laugh. He's a joke. Had I not paid my rent, had I not been a desirable tenant, he would have exposed me like he exposes everyone else. I want to see Colonel Burch come back at me and say what I'm saying isn't true. I do not understand why they've done nothing about my problem, which continues to exist ? I trusted housing when they housed me.

"What I want is for the BHC to stop turning a blind eye, to stop saying they're going to relocate me. I want them to fix the problem. They're trying to take the easy way out to get their job done and it's wrong. If they were honest business people, all of this would be cleared up. The BHC knows I'm crying out for help. They know who's making the noise and they haven't tried to reach me."

Questions were put to Sen. Burch and Dr. Brown. But no responses were forthcoming from either man by press time.

Mr. DeVent said he had intended to meet with the woman but had been hampered by the recent "inclement weather".

However he maintained that the woman should have taken alternate accommodation as has been offered her on two occasions by the BHC and that increased police presence has in fact reduced drug trafficking in the area.

When asked whether the woman should be forced to move because of a problem she did not cause and whether Government has a specific plan for dealing with drug use in that area, he responded: "Yes there is a plan. There is a drugs issue in Bermuda and it's a real issue in (the back of town).

"You're not going to change that overnight.

"It's up to the Governor to demand greater police presence. I'm calling on the Governor to make sure the police do their job."

Questions submitted to Government House, which has overall responsibility for Bermuda's internal security, were not answered by press time.