Needles and drug waste have been discarded in a historic city centre entry - due to open to the public for the first time in 50 years.
There are plans to re-develop Sugarhouse Entry, which links High Street and Waring Street in Belfast.
It is hoped the alley, one of several Belfast entries dating back centuries, will open in August. It has been shut since 1972.
Ahead of its opening, gates appeared to have been left open for a period last week. Within hours, needles and drug waste were littered across the entry alongside a splatter of blood.
The entry was a focal point for the United Irishmen, who instigated a failed rebellion against British rule in 1798, resulting in the execution of many of its leaders.
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The entry is still officially closed to the public, as works are “99% completed”, Belfast City Council said.
Seán Napier, from 1798 Belfast and Dublin Walking Tours said: “Since its closure, the alley has been used as an area for businesses to put their bins and some people use it as a toilet.
“Sugarhouse entry is one the most historically significant areas of the city centre. If the city is a beating heart, then the entries are the veins that keep the blood flowing.”
Mr Napier added that drug abuse has been an issue in the area for years, “particularly at the Waring Street end of the entry where it’s easier to hide”.
“Every tour we do, we see people who appear to be intoxicated,” he said.
“On a Saturday afternoon last year, as one of our tours was taking place, a man dragged an unconscious man out of a toilet on Lombard Street. He appeared to have overdosed, it was traumatic for tourists.”
The historian had sympathy for drug users and said they “are harmless and deserve help and support”.
“Just as Sugarhouse entry is a forgotten part of the city, these individuals are the forgotten people of this city,” he added.
Green Party councillor Brian Smyth said: “This problem has escalated since the end of lockdown, we need to look at new ways to tackle drug addiction in order to build collective community safety, save lives, and reduce drug waste.”
The PSNI said it continued to work alongside partner agencies, local representatives and others to find collaborative and proactive solutions to reduce the supply and demand of illegal drugs in the city centre.
”Our officers provide a visible policing presence throughout the city and Neighbourhood officers regularly patrol the area, including Sugarhouse Entry,” a spokesperson said.
Belfast City Council stated that it expects the entry to officially open to the public in two to three weeks.
Council workers had cleared the drug debris, however, on Wednesday more had appeared.
