The housing estate near Black Country town centre which is blighted by drug abuse, vandalism and petty crime
As Dudley Council gets tough on anti-social behaviour yobs continue to run riot on the borough’s residential streets.
One area blighted by drug abuse, vandalism and petty crime is Brewery Fields, a housing estate near Dudley town centre.
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People living in the area are desperate for solutions while gangs of youths continue to cause problems and community leaders fight to restore pride in the neighbourhood.
A Brewery Fields resident, who is afraid of reprisals and asked to remain anonymous, said: “You hear a lot of shouting on the park, especially at night time, and a lot of motorbikes scrambling up and down the road.
“Fireworks go off a lot around here , I’ve got my own view, it could be somebody selling something illegal, it might be a signal.
“I have seen cars pull up and they have gone over, undone the window, to me it looks like they are passing something and then they drove off.”
The resident said people in the community have tried secretly filming incidents but say they get no response from the authorities when they have submitted evidence.
The resident described an incident where he approached a suspicious vehicle.
He said: “I’ve gone out and a van’s pulled up and I’ve seen one bloke actually bringing stuff on the park and when he saw me looking….I can’t tell you what he said….then he said ‘you’d better clear off’.
“I went back in the house and he just drove off.”
Even on their own property people are at the mercy of thieves.
The anonymous resident said: “We’ve had ornaments pinched off here, to think you can’t leave stuff in your own garden without it being pinched, I won’t buy expensive stuff now for that reason.”
After living in the area for more than 40 years, the resident believes the estate has gradually declined.
He said: “When we came here it was a nice place to live, it’s gone downhill. You feel ashamed of it happening in your area. I can’t understand why they do it.
“I don’t think people are willing to change, they just tolerate it.
“If I knew what I know now I wouldn’t move here, I wouldn’t come here now.”
Despite the seemingly endless battle against anti-social behaviour and crime, community activists including St Thomas’s ward councillor Shaukat Ali are working to improve the lives of residents.
Recently vandalised play equipment was cleared from the Brewery Fields park and the search is on for funds to revamp the green space.
Cllr Ali, said: “The power of community; I have seen it in many situations.
“When a community comes together we can change things, we are not ones for giving up easily, we want to bring about improvements.
“I have grown up here, I love this area more than anywhere, we have got issues and challenges but it is a fantastic place.”
Dudley Council is rolling out a new policy to tackle anti-social behaviour which borough leaders say will be one of the toughest of any council in England.
The policy includes a range of measures including mobile control units to be parked in yob hotspots, using drones to follow off-road motorbikes, covert surveillance and action to prevent problem families from getting council homes.
West Midlands Police have been patrolling anti-social behaviour hotspots after the introduction of new Public Space Protection Orders in three areas of the borough including Dudley town centre.
