Covent Garden, one of London's most famous tourist spots, has become a "zombie zone" plagued by crime, homelessness, and drug-dealing, forcing terrified shop staff to carry weapons for protection.
The area, known for its theatres, luxury restaurants, and the Royal Opera House, is now seeing families and revellers confronted by homeless people lying barely awake outside makeshift tents. Many show signs of substance abuse, incapacitated by midday and easy targets for drug dealers.
Knife attack and rising crime
On Wednesday, the area was rocked by a crazed knife attack where four men were allegedly stabbed. The Met Police reported 514 crimes in the Holborn and Covent Garden area in June, a 16.8% increase from 440 crimes in January.
One worker revealed she kept an "eight-inch knife" under her desk, saying: "I keep this because I'm scared. I don't know what happened. This place used to be nice."
Workers describe 'zombie zone'
A barman at Do Mario's Italian restaurant said the area was like "a zombie zone" at night, adding: "You take your life in your hands walking after dark." Another worker said the homeless were "not the problem" but the "junkies" were, stealing to feed their habits.
One shopworker said she had been held at knife point: "He just pulled out a knife and said, 'give me what you've got', in the middle of London. A lot of it around here is drug related and it's bad. Crack, heroin, it's all over this area."
Police response
Chief Superintendent Jason Stewart, who leads policing in the area, said he understood concerns about Wednesday's stabbing. He said: "We can also reassure the community that tackling all violent and anti-social behaviour remains a top priority for the Met. Our neighbourhood policing approach focuses relentlessly on solving issues like neighbourhood crime that matter to people in Camden. We have recently seen a reduction of almost a quarter in neighbourhood crime in Camden."
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to end rough sleeping at the "earliest opportunity".
