People living in an area dubbed ‘Britain’s grimmest suburb’ say they are forced to put up with fly-tipping, anti-social behaviour and rotting meat piled up in the streets.
Those in Tolladine, Worcester, say surging numbers of houses of multiple occupation (HMO) has made situation worse over the past two years.
They say they are also plagued by violence and anti-social behaviour, which has made many elderly and vulnerable people feel too scared to leave their homes.
Tormented locals are now demanding action and say the area has become a ‘rat’s paradise’ with rubbish and bags of meat and bones dumped on pavements.
Edward Kimberley, who stood as a Labour candidate in the ward in May 2022, said: ‘Avon and Teme Roads were council estates built with small, family-sized houses designed to accommodate a specific number of people.
‘Now these are being turned into HMOs, far more people are being crammed in, and public services (like waste collection and on-street parking) have failed to keep pace.
‘Many tenants in this area are effectively locked out of whatever help the council could provide them, because they don’t speak fluent English, leaving them depending on their landlords for everything.
‘We need to do a much better job of reaching out to them, and letting them know help is available.’
Mr Kimberley said the area was heavily dilapidated, and that fly-tipping, rubbish and discarded offal were common sights in the neighbourhood.
One local said: ‘This place should be condemned. It’s an absolute disgrace. The only things thriving are the vermin. It’s a rat’s paradise.
‘People have given up all hope and respect for the area. I know of older people who are too frightened and depressed to leave their homes.’
On Avon Road, one garden is crammed with filthy mattresses, broken fridges, an old toilet and smashed bed frames.
The rubbish covers every inch of grass and spills onto the pavement, forcing residents to step into the road to avoid it.
‘It’s horrible walking around here and some of the people dumping stuff are really menacing,’ another resident commented.
‘It’s not just people throwing rubbish away, criminals are starting to use the area to fly-tip stuff. The area is turning into a giant rubbish dump.
‘You see gangs of kids spitting and smashing windows in empty buildings. People have been beaten up in the street for no reason, it’s grim.’
Mohammed Altaf, a Conservative city ward councillor who owns several properties in the area, says more should be done to help the area’s multi-cultural population access council services.
The news comes after a road in Birmingham was recently crowned ‘Britain’s most neglected street’ after it was found to be full of giant potholes, rubbish and burned-out cars.
A spokesperson for Worcester City Council said they will be investigating the site at Teme Road.
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