Birmingham's Digbeth area, once hailed as “Britain’s coolest neighbourhood,” has been branded a graffiti-ridden “slum” by locals, who say it is now plagued by criminals and fly-tippers.
The suburb was once tipped as one of the UK’s best places to live, backed by multi-million-pound investment and ambitions to be “better than Salford’s MediaCity.” Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight opened a studio in Digbeth in October 2025, where parts of the hit series and film starring Cillian Murphy were filmed. The BBC is also set to move next year into a new HQ, The Tea Factory, built as part of a £69.3m development.
But workers and residents say that behind the glossy plans to become a media hub, Digbeth has turned into an eyesore blighted by vandalism and litter. Once a haven for creative and arty types, some Brummies have accused developers of “tearing the heart out of Digbeth.”
JFK Mural Defaced
One of the latest targets is Birmingham’s iconic John F. Kennedy mosaic, which has been defaced after standing in the city since 1968. Other photographs taken around the area show graffiti tags sprayed along multiple buildings as well as rubbish dumped in the street, which locals say has become the norm.
Natalie Freeman, 39, who works in the Custard Factory, a creative area of offices for several independent businesses, said: “It's been a double-edged sword with the regeneration as it has sort of torn the heart out of Digbeth. 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.
“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. 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.”
She added: “They've pumped lots of money into certain projects in a tiny radius instead of focusing on Digbeth as a whole. Instead of supporting the current shops, bars and other businesses which have made it what it is they've just got ideas above their station which means the rest of the suburb is starting to rot and become a slum.”
Crime Concerns
Cody Fisher, 23, a semi-professional footballer, was stabbed to death on the dance floor of the Crane nightclub on Boxing Day 2022 following a minor altercation. Two men, Remy Gordon and Kami Carpenter, were convicted of his murder.
Chinese national, Jinming Zhang, 41, was also murdered in a flat in Digbeth earlier than same year and his killer remains at large. The previous year, Ashley Day, 20, was stabbed to death with a Rambo knife at a flat party advertised on social media.
One office worker in the area, who did not want 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.”
Another local resident named Jamie said: “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.
“Targeting 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.”
'Such a Shame'
Locals also reacted online after images emerged of the vandalised JFK mural. It was commissioned by Birmingham’s Irish community five years after the US president was shot dead in Texas.
Birmingham We Are posted on X: “Such a shame. Remember when street art and murals were treated with respect.
“Kennedy mosaic in Digbeth covered by graffiti. Why cannot we all take pride in the places we grow up in?”
One social media user responded: “The tags show it's the same people doing the graffiti over and over again. Surely it's not beyond the wit of the authorities to find them, prosecute them and make them scrub the lot clean. The place is festooned with cameras for goodness sake.”
Another web user posted: “Sums up the current state of our once great city.” Another commented: “The whole of Digbeth is a disgrace. Graffiti everywhere.”
Digbeth is undergoing a 20-year regeneration plan to turn it into Birmingham's main creative and media hub, covering 11 development sites across 35 plots. It was launched at the UK Real Estate, Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) in May 2025.
West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker previously promised “Digbeth will be bigger, better and bolder than Salford's Media City” while unveiling previous regeneration plans.
A Birmingham City Council spokesperson told the Mirror: “We know some people have concerns about issues such as graffiti, litter and fly-tipping, and we're working with local businesses, residents and partner organisations to tackle them. However, these challenges do not reflect Digbeth as a whole. The area remains a popular place to live, work and visit, with a strong independent business community and a vibrant cultural scene.
“Digbeth is one of Birmingham's most distinctive neighbourhoods and one of the fastest-growing parts of the city. Major investment is helping to shape its future, with plans for around 6,000 new homes, better transport links, new jobs and opportunities for local people and businesses. The level of investment coming into the area shows the confidence that developers and investors have in Digbeth's future.
“The new Digbeth Business Improvement District will bring additional investment to help make streets cleaner, safer and easier to access. This builds on wider work already taking place to improve public spaces, address community safety concerns and support local communities and businesses.
“We're also continuing to support Digbeth's creative and cultural identity. As part of the High Street Public Realm Improvement Scheme, a council-supported project recently introduced a series of new public artworks along Digbeth High Street.”
