'Beautiful' UK village plagued by crime and vandals where yobs roam streets

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Cars at a business in Thurnsoe were set on fire (Image: Maynard Manyowa / Yorkshire Live)
Cars at a business in Thurnsoe were set on fire (Image: Maynard Manyowa / Yorkshire Live)

A charming Yorkshire village known for its unique character and clean streets changes completely when day turns into night, as yobs are out in full force.

Buses stop running after dark in Thurnscoe due to a "prolonged campaign of anti-social behaviour" and residents face real challenges due to the crime rate. Ellen, 47, a nurse who moved to the UK in the early 2000s and has lived in Thurnscoe since 2015, drives her own car and has never needed to take a bus - but her brother, who does not drive and often works night shifts, is struggling due to the lack of public transport.

Ellen explained: "When he has to work in Thurnscoe it's a problem. He starts work at 11pm. There are no buses to and from here. Even when he would start at 7, he needs other people to go out of their way to help." According to Ellen, it is not unusual for her workplace to rely on agency staff when their permanent staff members cannot get to Thurnscoe on time or at all because there are "simply no buses".

'Beautiful' UK village plagued by crime and vandals where yobs roam streets qhiqqkiqhriqdtinvResidents said there are often blazes in the village (Maynard Manyowa / Yorkshire Live)

Rose, 52, added that everyone knows who is causing the trouble. She said: "This is a small village. Everyone knows everyone. And everyone knows who is doing the silly stuff. It's more than just buses too. At the bridge on your way to Asda, they pelt cars with eggs. If you walk in the street, you get dressed down."

In Rose's case, some of these yobs even invade her back garden. She said: "They come here a lot. You see them climbing the fence and they trash my garden." Ellen, another resident, claims her situation is even worse. She said: "When I came here we must have been three black families. So I stood out. These young kids would stop me in the street and ask for a lighter. When I said no, they would start calling me the N-word."

Man in 30s dies after being stabbed in park sparking police probeMan in 30s dies after being stabbed in park sparking police probe
'Beautiful' UK village plagued by crime and vandals where yobs roam streetsThurnscoe has some lovely houses sitting on spacious ground (Maynard Manyowa / Yorkshire Live)

She also revealed that her cars have been vandalised repeatedly, with offensive racist slurs often scrawled on them. Despite confronting one of the culprits, Ellen now lives in fear, parking her car close to her door and installing several cameras for safety.

Meanwhile, Thurnscoe's Facebook group paints a similar picture of constant unrest. One member said it seems like it is always Bonfire Night due to blazes at night. The local hotel has been set alight multiple times, and posts about vandalism and arson are common, reports Yorkshire Live.

'Beautiful' UK village plagued by crime and vandals where yobs roam streetsThe village looks completely different during the day (Maynard Manyowa / Yorkshire Live)

Recently, local businessman Matt Horner considered shutting down his business after yobs broke in and set cars on fire. He said he had never had a problem with anyone until he received a call from the police informing him his business was ablaze. He reckons the damage, including to a mate's car he was fixing up, is over £35,000.

Apart from the crime rate, Ellen says she feels odd in the village. Having lived all over the UK, she believes Thurnscoe is the "most beautiful of all cheap places" but it's "odd because it's not really safe".

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Chiara Fiorillo

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