People living on 'Britain's roughest street' say it's like living in a 'shadier' Amsterdam
Published
| Last updated
Residents living on 'Britain's roughest street' say that they are living in fear, and claim that it is 'shadier' than Amsterdam.
Slade Road in Stockland Green, Birmingham, is said to be riddled with violence and drugs that has spiralled out of control in recent years.
Locals say that they are scared to go out of their houses in the dark after numerous attacks, street robberies and drug dealing.
Loading…
People have also been approached by cut-price sex workers, who are offering their services for as little as a fiver.
Parents are forced to drop their children directly outside the school gates, while business owners are taken to the post office in fear of being mugged.
It reportedly feels like another world, as 'zombified' addicts roam the streets even in the middle of the day.
Locals say that this has only got worse in the last decade, with police nowhere to be seen.
Pam Round, 69, works at a community cafe at Stockland Green Methodist Church on Slade Road.
She said: “People tend to hang about on the street and sit in doorways and you get that nervous feeling when you walk down it, and it feels like a very sad area.
“I do feel safe in the day, but if I was to walk down it at night, I don’t think I would feel safe.
“People hang around the shops and the post office and I know this makes people scared to go out and do their shopping.
“There are two schools close by and I know parents drop their kids off at the secondary school, so they don’t get targeting by drug dealing.
“It happens in broad daylight and parents are worried that their children will fall into it.
“You don’t see the police around here often which is worrying."
A local man, who wished to remain anonymous, compared being on the street to Amsterdam.
He said: "Kids are stabbing each other, I heard about the £5 prostitutes and it being Britain's roughest street, but that will be like a badge of honour to these idiots.
"Police hardly show their faces around here either, you can't walk along the street without being offered sex or drugs.
"It's like being in Amsterdam - but a million times more shadier. I like to think I can look after myself but even I don't bother going out after dark now."
Other locals who have described their experiences living on the street include barber shop owner Yazir Mehmood, who described weed as a big problem.
While pet shop owner Monica Phillips believes that the main issues lies with people living in HMOs (houses in multiple occupation) in the area.
The street has actually been in the news recently with a huge cannabis factory busted by police who discovered £200,000 worth of plants.
Featured Image Credit: SWNS
Topics: UK News
