Drunks and drug addicts are "loitering" outside a primary school before and after sessions at a controversial rehabilitation centre, according to angry neighbours.

The clinic, run by charity the Westminster Drug Project, was last week given the approval of Barnet Council to operate yards from a primary school, church and library in Hendon Lane.

Neighbours and business owners near the centre claim patients are intimidating shoppers and young children by drinking high-strength lager outside the premises on a daily basis.

The branch first opened almost 12 months ago but Barnet Council only gave planning permission for a change of use to the former offices last week.

The authority’s planning committee approved the application despite a total of 51 letters of objection and a petition from worried neighbours, who were backed by Finchley and Golders Green MP Mike Freer.

Douglas Griver, owner of clothes shop Afterdark next door to the centre, said: “These are necessary places but the customers and I do feel intimidated sometimes.

“You get people staggering along the street with cans of strong lager in their hand. I’m not saying they would do anything or have done anything but it makes the place feel uncomfortable.

“There is an element of ‘not in my back yard’ to the complaints but there are far better places in the borough to put these centres.”

Among the complaints to Barnet Council were claims from some neighbours that they had seen drug deals taking place near the centre.

Craig Middleton, service manager at the WDP centre, said: "WDP exists to support the community and our services are focused on providing support to those who really need help, so that as a community we are all stronger.

"People who come into our service at the WDP Recovery Centre choose to come here because they want to get better.

"We have heard the concerns raised during the public planning meeting. We will always listen to our communities and we will be hosting open evenings to discuss any concerns our neighbours might have.

"We are very approachable so please come and ask if you have any questions. We want to work with our local community.”

Councillor Eva Greenspan sits on the council’s planning committee and says she was” upset” that it was approved in its location, opposite the Pardes House Grammar School.

The Finchley Church End representative said: “This is a residential area with schoolchildren walking up and down the road and to have this facility here is wrong.

“In planning terms it is out of character and I’ve had numerous emails about this from neighbours worried about the sort of people that will be hanging around.”

Barnet Council’s planning committee chairman Maureen Braun voted in favour of the plans and believes the centre has an important role to play.

She said: “I can understand where the neighbours are coming from in their concerns about undesirables hanging around but these are not all the dregs of society.

“These are people who have made a decision that they want to get off drugs and alcohol and many will be ordinary people who have fallen into it.

“We don’t feel there is an issue with the centre being there so we approved it. If by any chance we are wrong, we will look at it again.”