COMPLAINTS from residents living with tight security restrictions near the Athletes Village in Dalmarnock have fallen since the Common-wealth Games began.

Calton councillor George Redmond, who has been fighting the residents' corner over concerns about 8m-high fencing and parking restrictions, said few people were contacting him now, compared to 15 people a day before the Games began.

People living in the worst hit area, around Springfield Road between the Emirates Arena and the Village and Baltic Street, said the restric-tions were leaving them "barricaded" in their own homes.

But Mr Redmond said: "Things are picking up. It's been a challenging time for all of us, but the majority of people are trying to enjoy the Games as best they can."

Mr Redmond, who campaigned for a free shuttle bus after bus stops were removed from Springfield Road, added: "In the past week, I've had about six people getting in touch. People are now enjoying some of the Games, there have been lots of tickets made available for them.

"We have been doing what we can to make sure people get parking per-mits and ensuring the ice cream van can get in!"

But residents in the area felt forgotten about, they told the Evening Times. Nicola McInnes, 32, of Springfield Road, said things were "the same as before".

She said: "There are no buses and we are reliant on the shuttle bus which goes to the Forge shopping centre and back. It doesn't go to Tesco.

"We have to park our cars around the back of Troon Street. The main problems are getting to the shops and getting in and out of the road."

She believes it was a "waste of time complain-ing now". She said: "We just want it over with."

Nicola, mum to Alan, 5, said, however, that it had been good to see the athletes arriving.

She said: "We've got nothing against them, it's not the athletes who did this. It's the organisers."

Stephanie Kelly, 22, of Troon Street, mum to Logan, 2, said the situa-tion was "a disgrace". She said: "My family can't come and see me because there's nowhere to park."

Eleanor Miller, 58, who lives in Springfield Road, said they were being "barricaded into our own homes".

A spokesman for Glas-gow 2014 said previously that they had had "posi-tive discussions" with residents in the Spring-field Road area and the bus, funded by Glasgow 2014 and Glasgow City Council, was operated on a 'hail-and-ride' basis to help people move around.

The fencing was "essential to ensure we have a safe and secure environment where the athletes can relax."

victoria.brenan@ eveningtimes.co.uk