Red Road - 10

'Suicide Central'

That's how one resident described the area after last week's triple suicide. They weren't the first.

For those who don't know, the Red Road flats were the scene of an apparent triple suicide last Sunday morning. Serge Serykh, his wife, and his stepson, all from the former Soviet Union, plunged from the 15th floor to their deaths They were apparently tied together by a rope. They had fled the Soviet Union to Canada and for some reason had left Canada and come to Scotland.

10 years ago the UK government announced its decision to disperse asylum seekers from London and the south-east. Glasgow volunteered to take them, and there is a debate about whether the motive was charity or financial opportunity, or both, It was also a way of filling up its poorest quality housing stock including the Red Road. The city now has the highest number of asylum seekers outside London - 2,485 according to the latest Home Office count. That doesn't include those who were accepted as bona fide refugees and now have permanent residence. Most live in the Red Road flats.

I was in the area yesterday and spoke to the police in the mobile unit they have set up next to the spot the three bodies were found. I also spoke to a reporter from Real Radio. That led me to return this morning to see the start of the march, organised by Red Road residents, and supported by the Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees and the Unity Centre. They were marching from the scene of the deaths into George Square. Residents, together with charities, churches, faith groups, Quaker groups and trade unions were taking part.

The whole issue of asylum seekers is extremely controversial with very strong opinions on either side. For that reason I have just written some facts rather than go into the rights and wrongs of the situation. There is however sympathy for the family from all sides.



(Normally I would have cropped the top of this picture, but on this one I wanted to include as much as possible of the flats in the background).