Our town is being ruined by gangs of feral yobs who steal cars for ‘joyrides’ & smash shops – we’re too scared to sleep
ANGERED locals living in a quiet suburb have seen their area descend into chaos as gangs of feral yobs wreak havoc on their streets.
Terrified residents in Stourbridge, West Midlands are too scared to sleep living in constant fear of vandalism, theft and violence.
Locals claimed the delinquent youths, some as young as nine have turned Wollescote residential area into a “lawless” zone.
Some have witnessed the yobs recklessly joyriding in stolen cars, shoplifting and damaging property.
It used to be quiet area but it’s turned into a warzone. It’s amazing how many people have been affected by these kids
Kevin Smith
They now fear their once peaceful neighbourhood has become a battleground.
Yamuna Ramakrishnan, who works at Londis, revealed her store faces a daily struggle against shoplifters.
The 21-year-old said: “The kids steal chocolate and whatever else they can fit in their pockets.
“They also take other other things from nearby shops and put them in our shop for a prank.
“They took chairs and put them in our shop. It’s been happening for more than four months. They usually come usually around 8pm.”
She also spotted the group smashing shop doors but when the worker tried to call the police they fled the area.
Yamuna added: “They just come in and disturb the customers. They don’t allow the customers to come inside.”
The situation escalated recently when a group of alleged youngsters stole a car – crashing it into a homeowner’s Nissan Juke.
‘LAWLESS’ TOWN
Kevin Smith, who was in his conservatory when the incident took place, dubbed the scene “horrifying”.
CCTV footage showed the Honda rushing along the road before losing control and ploughing into the parked car on Worton Road.
He slammed: “There were three lads who smashed into it. It was pretty horrendous. Someone could have been killed.”
The homeowner claimed he sent the footage to the police but he hasn’t heard from them ever since.
The 69-year-old added: “At the moment these young gangs are running riot on the street. They burgle, steal cars and go around on motorbikes causing problems.
“They were throwing things at the bus as it went by. They got on the bus, damaged it. It’s pretty lawless around here at the moment.
“It used to be quiet area but it’s turned into a warzone. It’s amazing how many people have been affected by these kids.
“They know there are no consequences because the police don’t act. The number of people that are moving is ridiculous, this area is getting a reputation for being a bad place to live.”
‘ON TENTERHOOKS’
Other residents claimed gangs have targeted a disused shop, smashing it up and looting items.
They said the string of incidents have brought fear and chaos to their streets.
A fellow resident said: “It’s really scary, I am at my window all the while because they are throwing things and banging on doors.
“The abuse is horrible to hear, it makes you wonder what the world is coming to. I haven’t had any sleep, you only have to hear something and you are at your window or looking at cameras.
“We shouldn’t have to live like this, you are on tenterhooks all the while.
Another resident added: “It think it’s got a lot worse in the last few years.”
The Sun Online has approached West Midlands for comment.
Fuming residents
Matlock Bath in Derbyshire has been described as “Little Switzerland” due to its beautiful scenery and quaint buildings.
Only 800 people call this steep-sided village in the Derwent Valley their home, but in the holidays 10,000 people a day visit.
The town is largely dominated by Gulliver’s Kingdom, a children’s theme park that sits overlooking the village.
But locals say their idyllic village isn’t always paradise.
One homeowner, who didn’t want to be named, complained that he had to regularly confront tourists parking in his private street.
The 52-year-old property manager said: “This is not about Gulliver’s, their visitors park where they should but the place can get very busy and it can be a nightmare here with cars being parked up illegally and the police taking no action.
“They tell me they need to see the people leaving their cars to do anything about it but it’s not fair on us residents.
“In peak season, I have to get out early if I want to use the car to take the dogs for a walk and just accept that I won’t be going anywhere after that.”
