TERRIFIED residents living on “Britain’s worst cul-de-sac” say people are so scared they stash weapons in their doorways.
The crime hotspot in Birmingham’s most deprived area sees scared locals stay in after dark and prepare for the worst.Â
3One resident has five CCTV cameras constantly surveying his propertyCredit: BPMHomeowners on Drews Meadow Close in Druids Heath say they’ve had to fork out for CCTV cameras to combat growing violence, anti-social behaviour and a series of break-ins.
One resident even refuses to take his dog for a walk down his own street.
While it is just a small cul-de-sac, the road was struck by nine violent or sexual offences in a single month, according to the latest police stats for November 2022.
Resident Robert Wyatt, who has lived in the area for 14 years, told BirminghamLive: “There is a lot of violent people around here, a lot of anti-social, bad behaviour.
“My son – he’s only 16 – was assaulted not long ago, he got attacked just for changing his tyre outside a garage.”
Robert said the attacker assaulted his son: “He got him on top of the van and was punching him and fighting him. My poor son, he’s still in school.
“He attacked me also. He pushed me, I had all the bruises up my arms.” It’s not the first time the man has assaulted locals living there, Robert said.
The problems don’t end there – locals also face the issue of gangs in the area.
Robert said: “There’s quite a lot of youths and gangs walking up and down.
“I have a problem because there is no fence around my garden. They were all congregating around my garden, sometimes up to 15 of them.
“The young lads are threatening when they’re all together. You ask them to move and they give you verbal abuse. They finally moved but then caused damage to garden ornaments, plants – they push them over.”
Other neighbours have attempted to deter criminals through CCTV and warning signs.
One homeowner hopes to scare off any potential threats with a ‘beware of the German Shepherd’ sign on their back gate.
Darren, a dad-of-five who wouldn’t give his full name, said: “If you come down here after dark, around 7pm, that’s when they come out…I can see why the older folk don’t want to walk around here.”
He said he keeps a hammer axe in his doorway in case anyone breaks in – and even takes a metal ‘fire brigade drop key’ out with him for protection.
Several other streets in Britain have been plagued with violence and alleged criminal activity – like residents on this street.
Or hear from the people living on a high street dubbed the ‘worst in London’ who have hit back at critics, saying they love it.
Meanwhile, angry residents living on this pothole-ridden street fear ambulances will struggle to reach them in an emergency.
3A ‘beware of the German Shepherd’ sign on one resident’s back gate aims to deter criminalsCredit: BPM
3The crime hotspot in BirminghamCredit: BPM
Story Credit: thesun.co.uk