Former residents of the area dubbed ‘Britain’s roughest estate’ claim the place is not unrecognisable – while current residents live in constant fear.
Blakenall Heath, Walsall, West Midlands locals have compared the previously “vibrant place to live” full of “great people” to the warzone in Ukraine. They claim that gangs of yobs rip live pigeons apart and the area is a ‘no-go’ for cops, whose cars get smacked with bricks.
A YouTube travel blogger visited the area and spoke to residents who claimed the estate is plagued by knife-wielding gang members, some as young as 10. But some say the area wasn’t always that way.
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One person claimed the place used to be lively and great for a night out. Another described it as a “vibrant, lively town”, adding it's sad to see it “derelict and boarded up”.
Another who was “born and bred in Walsall” felt “sad to see it has declined so much.” A fourth claimed that in the 90s there was never any trouble, adding “can't believe what a state it is now”.
“What was once a cared-for housing estate that people happily called home is a hostile place,” another added. The UK Explored channel, which gives tours of cities and towns across the country, said the estate “felt and smelt dangerous” – with a crime rate double the UK average.
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The YouTuber later discovers a flattened dead rat in a children's play park while filming around the area and says it scared him, before fleeing after a woman told him to “f*** off”.
He says: “I walked onto Dawson Street a woman told me to 'f*** off', she made a call on her phone and I didn't wait to see who she was calling and made a quick exit. There are 400 crimes reported each month in Blakenall alone.
“Most of which are violent offences and antisocial behaviour. There were stories of people being shot at, and children tearing up pigeons and throwing them into the chippy. And a young kid was blinded after being stabbed.”
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Local resident Andy Bloxham, 38, said: “I think it's a fair reflection of the area. The video makes it look worse than it is but there's no denying it's rough as anything. It's a shame as there are some lovely people here, we've just got more than our fair share of mindless idiots bringing the area down.
“People shouldn't be living in fear in their own homes. It's been a year since our little estate first made headlines and since then nothing has changed, it's still the same. If anything these gangs see being named Britain's roughest estate as a badge of honour.”
Independent Blakenall ward councillor Pete Smith previously said “It's like something from war-torn Ukraine.” He added: “There was also this poor pigeon that had its head ripped off outside a shop before they pulled its wings off and just ripped it to pieces.”
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West Midlands Police brought in a 48-hour dispersal order for Blakenall after violence flared on November 2 and youths pelted police cars with bricks.
A force spokesperson said at the time: “We've had several police cars damaged after bricks were thrown and members of the public have also reported damage to their vehicles. This behaviour is completely unacceptable, the people involved are causing issues in the local community and we are determined to stop this happening."
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