A London woman is calling on the city to take action after years of watching ne'er-do-wells use the laneway behind her house to do drugs, dump their garbage and have sex.

Michelle Koch lives on Redan St. just off Hamilton Rd. in east London.

The laneway behind her house was historically used as a way for residents to access their homes by horse and buggy, but in recent years, it's fallen into disarray.

"I have witnessed ... men receiving fellatio from women, intercourse, and most recently a gentleman lying on the ground with his pants around his ankles masturbating," Koch wrote in a letter to the City of London's civic works committee.

"These occurrences happen in broad daylight! There are also many other activities that occur at night."

Koch, who is the mother of a 12-year-old son, noted that kids in the neighbourhood should be able to play in their backyards without worrying about the discarded condoms and needles that frequently pepper the laneway.

Koch is concerned about the discarded condoms and needles that frequently pepper the laneway behind her home on Redan St. just off Hamilton Rd. in east London. (Michelle Koch)

"That's not something that any child needs to see," she said.

Option to close laneway

In a presentation to committee, Michelle Koch described the garbage and debris she often finds in her laneway. Even with a privacy fence, Koch said she can see illicit activity in the laneway from her backyard. (City of London livestream)

At Tuesday's civic works committee meeting, councillors spent about an hour debating the issue. Ultimately, the committee voted to survey residents whose property backs onto the laneway about whether they'd be agreeable to having the laneway closed.

After that, residents will be given the option to take ownership of the laneway, with the city covering associated legal costs.

"[This] would presumably involve extending their fences and turning it into extensions of their backyard," said Doug MacRae, the city's director of roads and transportation.

The consultation process itself will likely take several months, MacRae said. But, with summer on the horizon, Koch says she's hoping to see the laneway closed as soon as possible.

"In the wintertime there's not as many people outside with the snow and the cold, but now I fear that the behaviour will ramp up again," she said.

"I know it's only gonna get worse again. I'd like to sit outside in my backyard and enjoy my backyard."