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'UK's coolest neighbourhood' is now a 'post-apocalyptic' no-go zone with night stabbings
Digbeth in Birmingham was previously named as one of the best places to live in the UK after becoming a magnet for creative and arty types, but a few years later it is an absolute nightmare
Residents a UK town once dubbed "Britain's coolest neighbourhood" are now calling it a no-go zone after dark and a hotspot for fly-tipping.
Despite being home to the BBC's new flagship HQ and a film studio complex, locals from Digbeth in Birmingham say the area has become unsafe, with streets littered with rubbish and graffiti-covered cars.
One student living near the an iconic local building known as the Custard Factory said: "I heard all sorts of awesome things about Digbeth before I moved here, but we've had stabbings and murders, people use the streets as a dumping ground. It can look cool in parts but turn a corner and you're looking at a bombsite.
"Hopefully the investment going into it can get it back up the standards it was. But it appears after Covid, this all stalled. Even the BBC studios plans have been put back. Its like the cost of living crisis has stalled everything and the result is that Digbeth is no longer a trendy place to be - but a bit of a dump."
Harvey Saunders, 20, who works in an office in Birmingham, said that the area has been like a "building site" while officials have been extending the tram from the city centre "and that's still not finished".
He added: "I think it has put people off coming to Digbeth as its become pretty inaccessible. So the knock-on effect is that the place is becoming a bit neglected.
"There was a bit of glitz and glamour with all the celebrities in the area when Joe Lycett was filming his show here. But then you see these streets covered in rubbish and it looks like something from a zombie movie or The Last of Us."
Last year, Ashley Day, a promising footballer aged 20, was fatally stabbed with a Rambo knife at a flat party advertised on social media. And on Boxing Day the previous year, Cody Fisher, 23, died after being stabbed at the Crane nightclub in Digbeth.
Harvey said: "The nightlife used to be amazing around here but it has started to attract the wrong sort of crowd. It can be pretty rough. Even the Digbeth Dining Club moved out of the area to nearer the Jewellery Quarter. I hope it can recover though because there are still great shops and bars. The vibe has been great in the not-too-distant past. That scene just needs rediscovering and perhaps a bit more investment will help that."
Councillor Majid Mahmood, who looks after our city's environment slammed those who have turned the area into what it currently is today.
He said: "Those who dump waste on public or private land are environmental criminals, who are expecting others in our city to foot the bill for the disposal of their rubbish and unwanted items.
"There is no excuse for this anti-social behaviour, which shows no regard for the surroundings in which we all have to live and work - there are many legitimate ways to get rid of waste so there is simply no excuse. We investigate incidents and do not hesitate to take enforcement action or prosecute offenders, as demonstrated in the past by many high-profile cases."
Daily Star Sunday
Digbeth in Birmingham was previously named as one of the best places to live in the UK after becoming a magnet for creative and arty types, but a few years later it is an absolute nightmare
Residents a UK town once dubbed "Britain's coolest neighbourhood" are now calling it a no-go zone after dark and a hotspot for fly-tipping.
Despite being home to the BBC's new flagship HQ and a film studio complex, locals from Digbeth in Birmingham say the area has become unsafe, with streets littered with rubbish and graffiti-covered cars.
One student living near the an iconic local building known as the Custard Factory said: "I heard all sorts of awesome things about Digbeth before I moved here, but we've had stabbings and murders, people use the streets as a dumping ground. It can look cool in parts but turn a corner and you're looking at a bombsite.
"Hopefully the investment going into it can get it back up the standards it was. But it appears after Covid, this all stalled. Even the BBC studios plans have been put back. Its like the cost of living crisis has stalled everything and the result is that Digbeth is no longer a trendy place to be - but a bit of a dump."
Harvey Saunders, 20, who works in an office in Birmingham, said that the area has been like a "building site" while officials have been extending the tram from the city centre "and that's still not finished".
He added: "I think it has put people off coming to Digbeth as its become pretty inaccessible. So the knock-on effect is that the place is becoming a bit neglected.
"There was a bit of glitz and glamour with all the celebrities in the area when Joe Lycett was filming his show here. But then you see these streets covered in rubbish and it looks like something from a zombie movie or The Last of Us."
Last year, Ashley Day, a promising footballer aged 20, was fatally stabbed with a Rambo knife at a flat party advertised on social media. And on Boxing Day the previous year, Cody Fisher, 23, died after being stabbed at the Crane nightclub in Digbeth.
Harvey said: "The nightlife used to be amazing around here but it has started to attract the wrong sort of crowd. It can be pretty rough. Even the Digbeth Dining Club moved out of the area to nearer the Jewellery Quarter. I hope it can recover though because there are still great shops and bars. The vibe has been great in the not-too-distant past. That scene just needs rediscovering and perhaps a bit more investment will help that."
Councillor Majid Mahmood, who looks after our city's environment slammed those who have turned the area into what it currently is today.
He said: "Those who dump waste on public or private land are environmental criminals, who are expecting others in our city to foot the bill for the disposal of their rubbish and unwanted items.
"There is no excuse for this anti-social behaviour, which shows no regard for the surroundings in which we all have to live and work - there are many legitimate ways to get rid of waste so there is simply no excuse. We investigate incidents and do not hesitate to take enforcement action or prosecute offenders, as demonstrated in the past by many high-profile cases."
Daily Star Sunday