Residents of Stockland Green in Birmingham claim "£1 prostitutes, drug pushers and gangs" are blighting Slade Road – dubbed one of the most notorious in the city – and the surrounding area, with many folk now too scared to head out at night.
A pensioner described how he is continually propositioned by bargain-basement prostitutes near an alleyway who ask for £1 in exchange for a sexual service, while others have spoken about dealers, drug dens, burglaries and violence on the street.
Some residents told Birmingham Live they were so frightened of the intimidating groups of lads hanging around and drinking on street corners, they would rush to lock themselves in whenever they arrived home.
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An 80-year-old resident who asked not to be named said: "I've been propositioned three or four times by prostitutes. These are young girls – maybe early 20s, possibly Eastern European.
"I only wanted to go to the shops and get some bits and bobs and I have to keep declining their offers! It's very tiresome. This area has got worse and worse over time. It has so many issues with drugs and other crime."
While the neighbourhood has plenty of amenities and facilities, a seedy and dangerous underbelly is present in the area, locals say, due in part to the scores of people living in HMOs and a bail hostel that has encountered "countless trouble".
Another resident Gordon Stamford, 69, said he suffered a burglary at his home – which he believes caused his beloved dog to die from a heart attack. He said: "They came through the back and raided the home.
"They took lots of things and money for the grandchildren. My dog later died from a heart attack, which I think was triggered by the stress of the break-in. It was my mum's dog, which I looked after when she died. It was so sad.
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"I'd like to move but the thing is I'm stuck in this council home and at my age – that's it. I'd love to move but I feel trapped. I used to go to the social club and walk back at 2am or 3am, but I wouldn't dream of doing that now – it just isn't safe."
Another resident, in his 70s, who lives in a bungalow on the street, said: "There was a drugs den up from us. We rang the police a number of times before it was shut down. I think it's been empty about a year now. There's loads of drugs that still go on, street dealing moving it around and you can smell drugs in the air.
"There was also a bail hostel down the road. It was terrible. Ex-cons fighting, shouting and drinking out in the street. It was frightening. Thankfully that went about a year ago. But living here is a bit of a nightmare. I'd never go out at night. I'd be too scared to."
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