Friday 23 September 2022 11:14 AM Britain's 'ROUGHEST' estate is likened to 'war-torn Ukraine' trends now
Residents are living in fear on one of 'Britain's roughest estates' where yobs as young as 10 have been running riot and even ripping live pigeons apart.
Blakenall, in Walsall, West Midlands, has been compared to 'war-torn Ukraine' after the area began falling into a state of disrepair during the past two years.
Locals are constantly being plagued by violence and anti-social behaviour and say they are too scared to leave their homes - even in the daytime.
Feral youths as young as 10 have been subjecting terrified residents and shopkeepers to racial and physical attacks on a daily basis.
Blakenhall in Walsall is one of the most socially deprived areas in the West Midlands, where, according to reports, locals are afraid to venture out after dark as a result of feral gangs of youths who roam the streets
Only 19 per cent of houses in Blakenall are owner-occupied and the population density is is higher than surrounding areas
A sign welcoming people to the area has lost several of its letters - an omen of what visitors should expect crossing the boundary into Blakenhall
Tormented residents and business owners are now demanding action following a string of incidents including arson attacks, fly-tipping, thefts, assaults and vandalism.
The area is one of the most socially deprived areas in the West Midlands with a higher population density than the rest of Walsall, with 39 people per hectare compared to 27.3 across the wider region.
Less than 19 per cent of locals own their own their own homes compared with almost 31 per cent across the West Midlands.
According to statistics released by Walsall Council:
8.5 per cent of households are 'overcrowded' compared with Walsall average of 6.5 per cent 3.1 per cent of households do not have central heating Higher proportion of socially and privately rented properties Below average of owner occupation The majority of people in the ward are among the top 10 per cent most deprived n Walsall
Anti-social behaviour and criminal damage are rife in the area with reports of businesses, buses and taxis being attacked
Litter is strewn over the green area in front of a parade of shops which include a Coral bookmakers
A local councillor also told how a live pigeon was even torn to pieces in front of horrified staff and customers outside a shop in the area
A local councillor also told how a live pigeon was even torn to pieces in front of horrified staff and customers outside a shop in the area.
Businesses have also been pelted with eggs, flour and bricks causing damage to property while buses, taxis and cars also routinely get attacked.
Other incidents include a fire started at a house which left a mother and her children too scared to return and a delivery driver who was hospitalised by a thrown bottle.
Several streets around the area are also being used as a dumping ground for fly-tipped waste while balaclava-clad youths have been seen wielding knives.
Residents now fear it is only a matter of time before somebody is killed while other homeowners are being driven out of the area.
One local resident, who did not wish to be named, said: 'It had got to the point where we are scared to leave our homes even in the daytime.
'The place has just rapidly declined into almost a state of lawlessness since the pandemic.
'Before then we did have issues but not to the scale we are seeing now. It's like a war-zone out there at times.
'The kids are running riot and they find it funny when police arrive. People are saying it's the roughest estate in Britain and I'm not sure I could argue with that.
'But these kids will wear that like a badge of honour. It's only a matter of time before somebody gets killed around here. There are fights on a daily basis.
'Shopkeepers are being racially abused and attacked. Rubbish gets dumped in the street, fires are started, bus shelters are smashed.
'You see kids walking down the street with knives and smoking drugs - it's just there is just no rules or order here.
'The list is just endless - you name a crime and I've probably seen it happening here. It has gone off the rails.'
A mother-of-seven, who did not want to be named, added: 'Its the younger kids causing the most problems.
'They get a buzz from it when the police arrive - but the police end up running away because they get pelted
