'Grim' town which 'smells of cannabis' leaves locals scared to go out at night

22 April 2023 , 11:15

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Dewsbury town centre this week (Image: YorkshireLive)

A town has been described as "doss hole" and "grim" by its fed-up residents who say it constantly smells of cannabis and they are afraid to go out at night.

People living in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, feel positive about the investment put into the town in recent years but they say more is needed to tackle issues in the area.

Before boarding a train for a day out, residents Jo and Gaz said the area now looks "good" but added that improvements are often "all on the surface" because, after moving away from the station, the lack of investment is noticeable.

Jo said he would not walk through the town after dark as he would feel "too scared", as he told YorkshireLive: "As soon as you go away from this area, it is run down and the shops are closed, with undesirable people. I would not walk through Dewsbury after dark. I would be too scared."

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The pair added that the town centre has also changed a lot recently, with many pubs closing down - and if they want to have a drink, they now go to nearby Wakefield.

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Mohammed Rehman, 56, said he has lived in Dewsbury for around 40 years and says that a lot of shops have closed but on the plus side, the town is "nice and quiet" with "no violence".

The curry chef added: "I don't visit town much. My family does all the shopping."

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Matthew, who was waiting outside Dewsbury Community Outreach - which offers a free hot meal on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays - said he would go hungry if the centre did not exist.

But describing Dewsbury town centre, Matthew said it as a "bit grim" and his friend shouted out "doss hole".

He said: "People tapping (begging for money) and drunks bothering people. And cannabis raids. It stinks (of cannabis) and turns my stomach."

Chris Butterworth, 60, who has lived in Dewsbury all his life, said it "has gone downhill rapid".

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But Michael Dean, a volunteer at the Outreach centre, thinks the town centre is now "coming back" thanks to investments and the fact that people "get on with each other".

Resident Elizabeth Cleal, 21, who was in the town centre with her mum, said: "It's dead. I don't spend much time here because they (shops) are shutting."

Her mum, Sarah Jones, 42, said: "It's like a dead town. All the shops are shutting. There should be more shops. There should be a playground or a playgym in the town centre for families. One that they can afford to use."

John Firth, a pensioner from Batley, but originally from Dewsbury, said she is "hopeful" for the future of the town even though she admits it is "struggling" compared to what it used to be.

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