Locals claim Digbeth, once dubbed 'Britain's coolest neighbourhood', has become a 'slum' full of graffiti and crime. The Birmingham district, often described as one of the city's trendiest areas, has recently seen development aimed at positioning it as a rival to Media City in Salford.
Scenes from Peaky Blinders were filmed there, and the show's creator Steven Knight opened studios there in October last year. The BBC will also move into a new flagship HQ in the area next year. But the once arty enclave has reportedly become overridden with vandalism, with residents blaming some of the gentrification for 'tearing the heart out of' the district.
Graffiti and flytipping blight the area
As a symbol of how far the graffiti epidemic has reached, an iconic mosaic of US president John F Kennedy, unveiled in 1968, now stands defaced. Flytipping has also become a common sight, locals complain, and many of the independent stores that once defined the area are moving out as business owners struggle to pay rent.
Natalie Freeman, 39, who works in the Custard Factory – a creative hub housing offices for small businesses – says the town's regeneration has been a 'double edge sword'.
'The smaller independents are having to move out due to rising costs and parts of the area have become increasingly run-down and dangerous at night,' she said. 'The graffiti issue is a massive problem – it was always just street art but vandals just tag away with no repercussions now and almost every street is covered in it. There's never anybody to stop them either.'
'People just dump rubbish all the time as well. It's pretty grim to be honest in parts and I don't feel that safe at night sometimes,' she added. 'People say it's still a good nightlife but that can come with crime as well – there's been plenty of stabbings in Digbeth and a man was murdered at The Crane club a few years back. They've pumped lots of money into certain projects in a tiny radius instead of focusing on Digbeth as a whole.'
Residents fear for safety
Jamie, another resident, agreed, saying: 'The graffiti has got out of hand – people are seeing the street art as meaning anyone can paint anything on any wall and it is starting to look a right mess. Targeted the JFK in particular is appalling – a mural should be pretty sacred and kept up to date. It's not right people doing things like that. Some places have been kept clean but in others it is starting to look really bad.'
Several serious crimes have also blighted the once trendy suburb's image in recent years. Semi-professional footballer Cody Fisher, 23, was stabbed to death while on the dance floor of the Crane nightclub on Boxing Day in 2022. Remy Gordon and Kami Carpenter were both convicted of his murder.
The same year, Chinese national Jinming Zhang, 41, was also murdered in a flat. His killer remains on the run. In 2021, 20-year-old Ashley Day was stabbed to death with a Rambo knife at a flat party promoted on social media.
The area's crime rate is particularly notable given that the local MP is the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood. For several worried residents, protecting their family has become a going concern, with many worried about letting their children go out at night.
An office worker, who did not wish to be named, said: 'I won't let my daughters come in to town anymore and Digbeth has started attracting the wrong crowd. It used to be one of the best night's out in the city but it's not safe. It looks a right dump in parts now. When you redevelop an area you've got to work with and support who is currently there but they haven't so it sort of kills the vibe which made Digbeth special in the first place.'
Regeneration plans and crime statistics
It all comes amid a 20-year plan to rejuvenate the town, with 11 development sites earmarked for 35 plots. It was launched at the UK Real Estate, Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) in May 2025.
West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker had promised: 'Digbeth will be bigger, better and bolder than Salford's Media City' while unveiling previous regeneration plans. But police statistics show Digbeth now has one of the higher crime rates in the city, with nearly 200 crimes reported per 1,000 residents, significantly above the national average.
Metro has contacted Birmingham City Council for comment.
