Residents of Clifton Street in Cardiff have described a street plagued by crime, drug dealing, and anti-social behaviour, with some saying they regret moving to the area and pleading for help.
Shop owner Poonam Mehta, 45, who moved to the UK from India 24 years ago, said she would leave if she could. “If I ever get a chance, I will want to go out from here,” she said. “I wouldn’t want to be in this place. They say this country is better than third world countries, but I don’t think so.”
Locals report seeing violence and blood on the street, open drug dealing, and human faeces outside homes. A 70-year-old resident recently discovered a dead man on stairs next door to her house, despite a police station in the street that serves as the headquarters of the local neighbourhood policing team, though its front desk is generally closed.
Residents' concerns
Ms Mehta added: “After staying here for so many years, I don’t think it was a very good decision. There’s so much homelessness and crime. I don’t see this in my country.” She described herself as “stuck” in a street that used to be “lovely”.
“The cops are not bothered,” she said, adding that her store is often targeted by thieves, creating losses on top of normal bills. The police “think it’s petty crime”, she said. “We’re paying taxes and in return we’re not getting anything.”
“Please help us, because this street is going into a dungeon place and we can’t see any signs of progress. It’s just deterioration,” she added.
Sarah Aston, 56, who works at The Clifton pub, moved away from the area two months ago because she had to pick up human excrement. “Someone dropped their pants and did it on my pavement,” she said. “I really didn’t like picking it up.”
Drug dealing happens “all day and night”, she added. “You only have to stand outside and you’ll be approached.” She said: “It’s too scary to walk down Clifton Street at night - there’s men hanging around on corners. I wouldn’t want to bring children up around here. But I’m okay there; I’m old.”
Pub as a 'safe haven'
Catherine Bunce, 58, the pub’s landlady, said: “The crackheads are always hanging around here. They’re in the streets shooting up. You can’t walk down here at night.” She showed The Express photos and videos of people who appeared high or sleeping in the street.
Paul Watson, 57, an army veteran, said the area is “terrible” and in “chaos”. He has been “ganged up on” by “school children pretending to be gangsters”. When asked why, he said: “Because I probably said, ‘Why are you hanging on the corner when you should get a job?’”
Patron James Dovey, 61, a former industrial worker, alleged that prostitution happens in the area and said: “The thin blue line is getting really thin now.” “I don’t even carry my phone with me anymore,” he added. “I’ve got nothing against a little bit of pot smoking or something like that, but it is getting ridiculous around here.”
Mr Dovey also said he sees people go into Greggs with “wads” of cash - “more than I’ve ever earned” - and shoplifters in Tesco “literally pick up a load of ham stuff up whatever and walk out with it”.
Mark Turner, 56, another patron, said the pub is his and others’ “safe haven”. “I’ve lived here 20 years and the area has gone down rapidly. This is the only place I feel safe to come,” he said. He does not leave his dog outside Tesco lest he is stolen, nor does he let him out into his garden because there may be used needles in it. He also alleged that drug dealing goes on “on every corner” and complained of “shouting and screaming” in the small hours.
Laurence Sturgess, 50, who described himself as an ex-heroin addict, sleeps in a local hostel but spends his days in the streets from 6.30am to avoid purported drug use in the building. When asked about crime, he said: “I stay out of it. I don't want to know. But what I get fed up of is people coming outside the shop and they're looking and they're talking to me and then the next thing they're running - they call it the ‘kamikaze’ - and they're running and they'll just rush all the stuff off the shelves. It’s no good to me. It looks bad on me.”
Mr Sturgess said he is “on the drink all the time”, but would like to find some sort of work. People in his situation are “stuck” in “a rut”, he added.
Lee Goman, 37, who lives in supported housing, said: "It's crazy down here, mate... There's a load of drug dealers." "They're right outside the police station selling ganja," he added. "It is a bad place down here. There's a lot of stabbings."
Official response
South Wales Police said that as a result of “concerns and crime” in the area, Clifton Street is part of an on-going “Clear Hold Build” project which aims to provide long-term safety and improve quality of life for residents. “The program builds on successful models from other areas South Wales and the UK, demonstrating that community-driven actions can effectively reduce crime and anti-social behaviour,” the force added.
Chief Inspector Stuart McDean said: “The Clear Hold Build project is bringing partners, including Cardiff Council, and the community together to remove the criminal elements from Clifton Street and City Road and put in place long-term plans to improve the infrastructure of the area.”
A spokesperson for Cardiff Council said: “While we recognise that residents have concerns and that challenges remain, there is a significant amount of co-ordinated work taking place.” They added: “Enforcement activity continues against illegal trading, with closure orders being pursued where appropriate. Alongside this, tackling the illegal use of e-bikes and scooters is ongoing, with vehicles being removed from the streets. We are also working with South Wales Police and partner agencies to address anti-social behaviour, prosecute offenders, and disrupt criminal activity in the area.”
Officials say “local outreach activity” is taking place regularly to “engage with vulnerable individuals and connect them with support, treatment and health interventions where needed”. The spokesperson said: “Residents and businesses are helping to identify priorities through a well-attended programme of community engagement and partnership meetings.” They added: “We would encourage anyone with concerns about Clifton Street or the wider area who is not already involved in the local engagement to attend the community forums and partnership events. These meetings provide a direct opportunity for residents and businesses to raise issues, influence decision-making, and help shape the work in their community.”
