Residents in one of the UK's most deprived areas say the cul-de-sac where they live has become so overrun with criminal and anti-social behaviour they now live in constant fear.
Those living on Drews Meadow Close in the Druids Heath area of Birmingham have described keeping weapons to hand in case their property is broken into, wearing masks to hide their identity when walking the streets and keeping multiple CCTV cameras running in a bid to improve security.
Drews Meadow Close was his by nine violent or sexual offences in the latest monthly crime figures for November.
Robert Wyatt is among those to admit he is frightened of the spiralling problems in the area – which is perhaps no surprise considering he has had to deal with gangs, two burglaries and an assault.
Image:
BPM Media)"There is a lot of violent people around here, a lot of anti-social, bad behaviour," Robert, a resident for 14 years, told Birmingham Live.
"My son - he's only 16 - was assaulted not long ago, he got attacked just for changing his tyre outside a garage.
“He assaulted him, 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.
"A few of the neighbours have been assaulted by the same person and had abuse.”
The locals also have trouble from gangs to contend with.
“I won't even take my dog for a walk because I'm frightened,” Robert added.
Image:
Nick Wilkinson/Birmingham Live)"There's quite a lot of youths and gangs walking up and down. I have a problem because there is no fence round my garden.
“They were all congregating round 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.”
He tried to get a fence to protect his home, but as it is a council property it has proven difficult.
Instead, he has filled his garden with plants to try to stop the youths loitering - along with erected cameras, signs and warnings for would-be criminals.
"There's been a lot of break-ins over the last few weeks or two," he says. "A lot of people have got cameras because there has been a lot of damage to cars, key scratching.
"I have been broken into myself a couple of times. They stole quite a bit of stuff - TVs, jewellery."
Image:
BPM Media)Other neighbours display warnings not to approach as a cold caller, while one homeowner hopes to deter criminals with a 'beware of the German Shepherd' sign on their back gate.
Darren, a dad-of-five who wouldn't give his last name, shouts to check who is knocking his bungalow before peering around the ajar front door.
He speaks of troublesome youths and warns against coming down to Drews Meadow Close at night.
"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 says.
He keeps a hammer axe in his doorway in case anyone breaks in and takes a metal ' fire brigade drop key' out with him for protection.
"It's the youths, they have got no brain in them. All of them have got no manners, no respect."
He adds that they will walk around in masks, but admits he too has balaclavas - explaining that if you "look like a victim", you will be victimised here.