Residents of Ipswich say they are too scared to walk the streets after dark, describing groups of intimidating men, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour in the Suffolk town centre.
Locals describe a 'horror film' atmosphere
A Reddit user a year ago described what they called "crackhead alley" near the White Horse Hotel in the town centre. "I stayed at that hotel and let me tell you it's like you stepped into a horror film," they wrote. "Men will follow you, they will ask for money, sex, drugs, everything. They have no filter. It's so dangerous."
A woman who has worked in the town centre for 40 years and wished to remain anonymous said things were "tough." "The town used to be fabulous. It was thriving. Now it's totally different," she said. "You've got bikes speeding through town, threatening the public. They're scared. Drunks linger on the bench up the road and they come through town shouting. There are multiple thefts — people running out the shops. I just haven't got the words."
She added that people are not coming into town like they used to, meaning her takings have halved in four years. She said it is "scary" to bring kids into town. "You've got your elderly regulars and they feel vulnerable. You speak to young people and they don't want to come into town. There's fights. At least once a week," she said.
Residents share their fears
Sufiyah Ali, 23, only comes into town in the morning or at lunchtime as she does not feel safe later in the day. The support worker said: "Whatever you think, yeah [...] There's lots of anti-social behaviour and so much crime. They don't hide it anymore. They just grab it and go." She added: "It's just greed and laziness. The shops have security but they just let people shoplift."
Ms Ali has been racially abused in the high street. "I was with my daughter and there were people walking along here. There was a football game on [...] They were laughing and joking and said racial slurs, and I just went off on my day," she said. She lived in Manchester for three years. "Manchester is way safer than here," she said. "It's so nice up there."
A 72-year-old woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "We don't feel safe in this town anymore like we used to." She is concerned about individuals she believes are migrants. "We were going to go to the bank there and up until a few weeks ago there used to be Iranian men who used to sit there and when you go in there to draw money they would be watching your movements. It does make you feel a bit nervy," she said.
Her 80-year-old husband, a former sergeant major and police officer, added: "None of the women feel safe anymore. You don't come here unless you have to."
Business owners and workers speak out
Chris Green, 80, said: "It's bad. You only come up if you go to the banks. Usually it's just awful. It's just awful. Every day on my phone something happens in town." She added: "It's everything shoplifting; I think is the worst." The business owner recalled last summer being "tipped off" her chair outside Costa by someone who wanted the seat for a friend.
A 51-year-old man, who wished to remain anonymous, worked in Ipswich for 12 years and now visits a couple of times a month. "I wouldn't come round Ipswich after dark," he said. "Don't venture out out here after the sun goes down. It's just groups of men who aren't necessarily the culture of our country. A bit intimidating. You're walking down here with your family and it's not a pleasant experience. They may be harmless — it's just the visual impact it has."
Laura Moss, 43, a retail worker, said: "There seems to be more and more happening — not just in the town centre but outside of town as well. It has become more noticeable." She added: "Sometimes I come to the local cinema, the one in the shopping centre, and I try and come during the day. If I go to a later one and I'm having to walk through, I just don't feel comfortable."
John Clough, 81, claimed to have heard of people trying to gain access to the back of the local Iceland store to take items. He added that people have sold illegal tobacco in the street. The retired electrician said: "I've been in Ipswich since 1987 and there's been quite a lot of changes. Shops closing. It's got worse. People on these e-scooters — twice I've nearly been knocked over."
Homeless man shares his perspective
David Grothier, 60, is homeless. He talked to the Express while asking passers-by for change next to his tent. "I've got to say one thing: anti-social behaviour is not just the homeless people. Everyone tries to pin it on us. It's parents, they let their children out — gangs on bikes. They just absolutely rip the place to pieces," he said.
Mr Grothier, who was recently in prison for arson after setting fire to two houses in Colchester during a "dispute" between himself and another family, praised the Chapman Centre for their support. "I did my crime. I've done my time. Now I've got to face next hurdle of getting myself into accommodation again," he said. "All I'm hoping before I get moved on is I get rehoused. All I want is a roof and a door, that's me."
He added: "I don't choose to sit here begging. It's part and parcel of what I have to do to survive."
