Blakenall Heath, in Walsall, is plagued with knife-wielding gangs. Residents say the town has become a 'no-go zone' for local police. READ MORE:A housing estate where gangs run riot and rip live pigeons apart has been named 'Britain's roughest' by a travel vlogger who found a squashed rat in a kid's park.
A Youtuber who has now visited the crime-stricken area branded Blakenall Heath 'Britain's roughest estate' off the back of his own experience. One resident said: 'People shouldn't be living in fear in their own homes. It's been a year since our little estate first made headlines and since then nothing has changed'
Local resident Andy Bloxham, 38, said: 'I think it's a fair reflection of the area. The video makes it look worse than it is but there's no denying it's rough as anything. West Midlands Police brought in a 48-hour dispersal order for Blakenall after violence flared on November 2 It followed a string of incidents including arson attacks, fly-tipping, thefts, assaults, racist attacks and vandalism.
'They come in and steal eggs and then use those eggs to pelt the shop. We get racially abused too, we've just had enough.' Only 19 per cent of houses in Blakenall are owner-occupied and the population density is is higher than surrounding areas