UK estate where youths 'think they run the place' and people afraid at night
An estate in a UK city is being blighted by feral youths, teenagers and young men who think they run the place and leave locals in fear of going out.
Residents living in Orchard Park, a 1960s council estate in Hull, Yorkshire, say young people think they are "above the law" and feel "untouchable" - and are very much NOT afraid of the police.
One woman said she was almost hit by a couple of youngsters on a stolen motorbike while walking home after visiting a friend in the middle of the afternoon.
The resident said they were "aggressive" and that the incident was "frightening" as she was subjected to abuse.
She told reporters: "They sped past me on the grass and almost hit me.
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"I shouted after them and they stopped and gave me a mouthful of abuse. It could have got worse, they just didn't care and the aggression was really frightening. Then they just sped off.
The area has been a rise in antisocial behaviour"That's the thing now. They think they are above the law. They get away with it and they think they're untouchable. They think they run the estate."
Residents claim the situation has worsened in recent years, despite investment in new housing and tearing down the crime-infested blocks of flats that used to overlook Hall Road.
Last week, 19-year-old Kane McBride and 25-year-old Adam Wright died when they crashed their stolen motorbike on Hall Road - and the incident triggered a surge in activity from the young gangs, according to locals.
Kane McBride died in the crash (Humberside Police WS)
Adam Wright also passed away in Hull (Humberside Police WS)Youths gathered for "vigils" on bikes, many suspected stolen, wearing balaclavas and masks, as reported by Hull Live.
A woman named Anne said Stagecoach buses no longer run on the main road after they were repeatedly stoned in recent weeks.
This is having an impact on the lives of elderly people who cannot get into town and avoid going to local shops because of "problems" created by youngsters.
Anne added that taxi drivers, who share experiences of being targeted repeatedly by gangs, now drop people at the ends of the estate rather than drive through and risk their cars being attacked.
A quad bike was brought out for for the memorial gathering for Adam Wright and Kane McBride (xxxxxxxxx WS)"You're speaking about young women being dropped at Beverley Road or Endike Lane then having to walk through the estate to get home,” said Anne.
"How is that good? Who knows what could happen to them. But what's the alternative, tell them they should go out into town and have fun? People already feel like prisoners in their homes."
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Shopkeepers in Orchard Park are also regularly targeted - either by abuse or shoplifting.
Residents say young people think they run the estateThe owner of a shop said: "It's always been the same around here. It's always been forgotten about."
He added that in recent weeks there has been an increase in antisocial behaviour, with a shopkeeper describing the estate as "absolutely ruthless".
They said: "Some of the shops get horrendous abuse. But, they wear balaclavas and carry knives, so who's going to confront them?"
Nev, Manager at NR Motors in Orchard Park, said: "They're awful, and most of them are old enough to know better - about 19 to 25. The police won't do anything, unless you can prove they have a knife or something.
Flowers left at the scene on Hall Road, Orchard Park, Hull (Hull Live WS)"Cars left in our lot overnight have been damaged before, so it's costing us our business now. Something needs to be done about it."
"That window was smashed last year," he said, pointing across from the reception. "There's no point replacing it as it will just get potted again."
Monika Juszczyk, owner of the Green Café, said: "I've been lucky, to be honest, but I know that a lot of different places around here have had trouble. I think a lot of the corner shops and off licences struggle with it. It's fine during the day, but on a night the atmosphere changes and it's actually quite scary."
Locals say the youths are not scare of the police (xxxxxxxxx WS)Euro Supermarket on Ellerburn Avenue has been ram-raided twice in the past six months.
Owner Mohammed Sadqi previously spoke of his frustration in having to pay more than £10,000 to repair the damage.
Around the corner, Paul Chung, owner of Fish & Chips on Greenwood Ave, said: "Life's hard enough without people dreading coming to work. We've not had any trouble, but some places have had it bad.
"In all my years living on Orchard Park, it's always been the same. I don't think they're scared of the police anymore, are they?"
Some residents say they have thought about moving out because of the high crime rate on the estateA woman in her 30s said she now wants to move out as the estate - which was previously "quite nice" - has now become "like the wild west".
Assistant Chief Constable Darren Wildbore from Humberside Police said: "Engaging with young people is fundamental and we do a lot of youth engagement.
"We take different approaches demanding on the level of offending. If it is very low level then we will take these young people home and speak to their parents and get the youth engagement team involved.
People say the estate is like the wild west (xxxxxxxxx WS)"If it looks like they are moving on to more serious crime we can try to divert them through education and look at their family life. We also have a police officer or PCSO attached to every school in the area.
"But we will not tolerate criminal behaviour and if we need to, we will take it to the investigation stage and get the courts involved.
"But it is important we continue to engage with young people. While we have robust measures in place to deal with crime, we are trying to divert young people away from that in the first instance."
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