The crack-riddled seaside town where dealers flog £15k hauls in Asda bags and junkies hole up in filthy ‘death row'
One local revealed 'I've had to knock a few crack heads out' as trouble on notorious street spirals
BRID TOO FAR The crack-riddled seaside town where dealers flog £15k hauls in Asda bags and junkies hole up in filthy 'death row'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
DESPAIRING residents of a world-famous seaside town are so fed up of its drugs problem they are taking antidepressants.
Bridlington, in East Yorkshire - once an upmarket and bustling resort - is still renowned for its excellent shellfish and is referred to as the Lobster Capital of Europe.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
17
The seaside town of Bridlington has experienced a sharp decline in recent years
Credit: NNP
17
Toilets, fridges and other junk rots at the front of boarded-up houses
Credit: NNP
17
Simon Elvidge, 59, said he had to 'knock a few crackheads out' who started on him
Credit: North News and Pictures
17
One local told how he was homeless for months but used his 'willpower' to stop being around the wrong people
Credit: North News and Pictures
Tourists continue to flock to the area, which was used as a filming location for the 2016 remake of Dad's Army, to take advantage of its sandy beaches and funfair.
But a short distance from the promenade, on Tennyson Avenue, also known as "death row", drug deals are taking place in broad daylight.
The scruffy terraced street was once the pride of the town and home to upmarket B&Bs, but in recent years has suffered a sharp decline.
The Victorian buildings, which retain little of their former grandeur, have been converted into HMOs and flats or else lie empty and boarded up.
Shortly before 8.30am on a grey, cloudy morning, a scrawny woman walks along the street, which is littered with empty cider cans, clutching a bottle of vodka.
Residents speak of being forced to defend themselves against "crack heads" and nightmare neighbours, who set fire to their flats.
One pensioner says she used to be proud to call Tennyson Avenue home, but now barely recognises it.
The woman, who was too scared to give us her name, said: "The best thing about Bridlington now is the road out of it.
"Ex prisoners used to live next door, and they were drug taking and setting fire to the place.
"It was 24/7. It was the first time in my life I had to get anti-depressants.
Inside the seaside town named on of the WORST places to live in Britain
"There is drug dealing going on all the time. There's a particular car I recognise and it's dropping things off all the time.
"They deal everything, but it will definitely be crack cocaine. You see them outside houses waiting for drugs, doing their rain dance.
"You can't go out now without your door locked. Houses around here are full of drugs.
"When I moved here it was excellent. It was really quite wonderful.
"I used to be proud to say, I live on Tennyson Avenue, but I'm not now. There's not much I can do, I have to live through it."
17
Lee Jenkinson (left), Liam Langton and Luke Gilson (right) were jailed over a £3m crack cocaine conspiracy
Credit: Humberside Police
17
Locals say houses in the area are 'full of drugs'
Credit: North News and Pictures
17
Sat between Tennyson Avenue and the beach is a former HMO
Credit: North News and Pictures
17
One CCTV camera has been painted over, rendering it useless
Credit: North News and Pictures
Simon Elvidge worked as a commercial diver before he was diagnosed with cancer and moved to the street.
The 59-year-old has been forced to fend off drug takers determined to start fights while high on cocaine.
He said: "This road used to be posh. But now it is full of druggies and drugs.
"It has gradually become worse but I think this is happening to every seaside town.
"They deal all sorts of drugs around here. At one point we had a place on the corner which used to house people coming out of jail.
"That was a mini crime wave. They would shoplift to pay for their drugs.
"The police are up and down all of the time. I worry about it but I can handle myself. I've had to do it a few times.
"I've had to knock a few crack heads out. One time I had a guy who came up to me and wanted to start a fight.
"But they don't even know what they're doing most of the time, they're so high.
"I've been here six years but I came from a village to move here.
"That was a huge eye opener for me."
Left to rot
Sat between Tennyson Avenue and the beach is a former HMO which is now boarded up and in a state of neglect.
A sign stuck to the outside simply reads: "CLOSED. To protect your community from anti-social behaviour."
Around the corner, CCTV cameras operate in the back alleyways and there are signs warning people not to fly-tip. One camera has been painted over, rendering it useless.
17
The promenade sits a short distance from Tennyson Avenue
Credit: North News and Pictures
17
Retired electrician Ken Wicks, 80, tries to stay away from the troubled spots, but says there's poverty everywhere
Credit: North News and Pictures
17
An old sofa sits at the top of the garden, dirty and neglected
Credit: North News and Pictures
Tennyson Avenue was recently home to Michael Severn, until he was sent to prison for six-and-a-half years for drug dealing.
Severn, 31, was found with an ASDA carrier bag between his legs containing £15,000 worth of cocaine.
A local who didn't want to be named tells us he used to be part of the area's criminal activity before turning his life around.
The young man said: "I grew up around here. It has gone really downhill.
"It used to be a thriving town and it was a main seaside attraction but now lots of places have closed down.
"Drug deals happen all down this road. They deal all kinds of drugs but definitely crack cocaine.
17
Michael Severn was sent to prison for six-and-a-half years for drug dealing
Credit: Humberside Police
17
Bridlington was once a thriving town
Credit: alamy
17
It was a vastly popular tourist destination
Credit: alamy
"I've had my own demons in the past but came out the other side.
"I was homeless for months but I used my will power and stopped being around the wrong people.
"All of the people who told me to hang around and stay are the ones still living in tents now.
"There is one back alley just off this road where all of the druggies go to.
"They are all over this area. You see them waiting around in plain sight."
Desperate deprivation
The most up-to-date figures released by the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) ranked Bridlington South as the 45th most deprived area in England out of almost 33,000.
In 2021 there were 30 drugs death in East Riding, up from 22 in 2020.
And last year, Bridlington suffered the humiliation of being named the worst coastal resort in Yorkshire.
In March, three criminals were sent down for a combined 17 years after flooding the town with £3million worth of crack cocaine.
Lee Jenkinson, 32, Luke Gibson, 35, and Liam Langton, 27, were snared after a lengthy police probe into rising violence and drug activity between gangs in the town.
17
Georgina Marie, 28, worries for her little one, as she sees people 'openly drug deal' in the street
Credit: North News and Pictures
Georgina Marie is originally from Hull but moved to Bridlington to live with her partner.
The tutor fears for the future of her one-year-old daughter.
The 28-year-old said: "We live five minutes from the centre and people will openly drug deal in the middle of the afternoon in the street.
"But they will admit to doing it. They don't hide it.
"It's a lot of weed in the town centre but there's other drugs elsewhere.
I worry for my little one. If I had my own way I'd live in the middle of nowhere and send her to a private school.
Georgina
"They are trying to make it a better area for the tourists rather than the people who live here.
"We don't need a new car park, we need community centres for the kids.
"A new car park will be great for the tourists but the locals won't use it. But instead kids are on the streets here because they have nowhere else to go.
"I would go to the park as a kid but now they're not safe enough."
"Now we see drug dealing in Bridlington and I worry it will escalate to people carrying knives etc. by the time my daughter is older."
17
Now, shops stand boarded up or vacant
Credit: North News and Pictures
17
In 2015, Bridlington transformed into Walmington-on-Sea for the filming of the Dad's Army movie
Credit: REX
A spokesperson for East Riding of Yorkshire Council pointed to their Clear Hold Build scheme, which is a "concerted effort to improve quality of life in Bridlington, including by tackling organised crime and antisocial behaviour".
They added: "The aim is to disrupt and dismantle Organised Crime Groups (OCGs) by clearing the area of OCGs, then building community resilience to prevent their return.
"The council has also supported the police by using closure orders against council properties which have been the site of antisocial behaviour, to bring immediate relief to residents."
Ian Foster, the Neighbourhood Policing Inspector for Humberside Police, said: "Over the past year our Neighbourhood Policing Team have been working relentlessly in Bridlington to tackle anyone who has been causing harm in the area.
"We continue to take part in the multi-agency Home Office Clear Hold Build Initiative, which has involved large scale disruption of those involved in organised crime through warrants, arrests and charges.
"As a result of our ongoing work through this initiative, since April 2024, the courts have issued a total of 99 years and five months in prison sentences in relation to organised crime in Bridlington.
"With continued operations to tackle organised crime gangs and drugs dealing, such as Operation Shield, we continually gather intelligence, conduct Misuse of Drugs Act warrants and arrest and bring to justice those who commit drugs offences in our communities.
"Throughout the summer months we have also been running Operation Coastline, our proactive approach to tackling crime in our coastal region as the number of visitors increases.
"Bridlington is a fantastic place to live, work and visit and we are proud to be part of the community here.
"I urge anyone with any concerns or information about crime to please get in touch via our non-emergency 101 line or speak to an officer on patrol."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
6 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Ross Monaghan: From Glasgow street thug to running with global cartel bosses
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) EIGHT years ago Ross Monaghan was lucky to escape after an attempt on his life in broad daylight. But last weekend, the Lyons senior gang member was shot dead along with Eddie Lyons Jnr in a brutal hit in Fuengirola, Costa del Sol. 6 Ross Monaghan was shot dead along with Eddie Lyons Jnr in the Costa del Sol Credit: Alan MacGregor Ewing - The Sun Glasgow 6 The pair were shot in a horror gangland bloodbath at Monaghan's Irish bar in Fuengirola 6 A masked gunman shot Lyons Jnr dead outside the pub before turning his attention to Monaghan Credit: Les Gallagher - The Sun Glasgow Monaghan had a £250,000 price tag on his head over a feud with the Spanish drugs cartel linked to the south of England, it's been claimed. Sources say threats had been made in the months leading up to Saturday's double execution, but it wasn't the first time that someone had tried to kill Monaghan. In January 2017, it was just like any other day in the Glasgow area of Penilee as parents took their children to school. But little did they know there was a gunman lying in wait with a kids buggy which had a firearm in it. The gunman honed in on target Monaghan and fired two shots, one hitting him in the shoulder, the other missing. Monaghan was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time and quickly fled to Spain following the attack. Mark Richardson and Martyn Fitzsimmons were both tried then cleared of the gangland hit on Monaghan at the time. Monaghan had previously been cleared of killing Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll after a judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to convict him. The Gerbil was a feared Daniels clan enforcer known for extreme violence to anyone who got in his way or crossed him. Carroll's earliest brush with the law came in 2004 when he was charged with attempted murder. The FULL story of Scotland's biggest gangster Jamie 'The Iceman' Stevenson Coming This Sunday He was accused of shooting John Madden, a pal of Eddie Lyons Snr, with an AK-47 but the case later collapsed. Carroll, who was from Milton, then made the headlines in 2006 when he was hit in the stomach in a drive by shooting. Four years later, Carroll and associate Ross Sherlock were hit at 10pm one evening as they stood talking to others at the roadside in Bishopbriggs next to their BMW X5 - a favourite set of wheels for criminals at the time. Nobody has been charged with that crime which left Carroll fighting for his life in Glasgow Royal Infirmary under the guard of armed police. The Gerbil was then shot dead in the Asda car park in Robroyston in January 2010 in an attack that took just 25 seconds. A car pulled up just before 1.30pm, two gunmen got out and fired 13 shots into the back of The Gerbil's Audi A3 as stunned shoppers looked on. Monaghan was arrested in July that year and put on trial for the gangland hit but he denied all charges against him and lodged a special defence of incrimination against eight people. The trial collapsed due to insufficient evidence. 6 The Gerbil was shot dead in the Asda car park in Robroyston in January 2010 Credit: Universal News and Sport (Europe) 6 Monaghan was arrested in July that year and put on trial for the gangland hit but he denied all charges Credit: PA:Press Association Eddie Lyons Jnr, Stephen Lyons and Ross Monaghan all grew up in Milton. In 2000, the Lyons family had infiltrated a publicly funded community centre in the area. They took control of the Chirnsyde Community Initiative which received over £1.4million in taxpayer funding and turned out to be a front for organised crime and laid the groundwork for a bloody feud with the rival Daniel Crime Clan. Eddie's father ended up in the dock after he admitted racking up more than a quarter of a million pounds in mortgage frauds by giving lenders fake income details. In April 2016, Eddie Jnr and Monaghan later appeared before the same court but were cleared of a vicious street attack on three men outside a bar in East Dunbartonshire which took place in April 2016. But the trial collapsed when two of the alleged victims said they had no memory of what happened to them. After the attempt on his life outside the school in Penilee, Monaghan fled to Spain and he struck up a relationship with the Irish Kinahan crime cartel. Monaghan is said to have been instrumental in building an alliance between the Lyons family and the world's most wanted gang when he boldly approached godfather Daniel Kinahan several years ago. He formed a relationship with the global mob boss that has prevailed ever since, giving the Lyons extra power and control over Scotland's illegal drug trade. Former top cop Graeme Pearson said: 'Monaghan started out as a young man trying to make his way in his business and would have to be trusted to do that. 'He was part of a group which became known for extreme violence. Monaghan going on trial for murder and being acquitted through lack of evidence proved his bottle to the gang. 'Then he was shot at and survived. He earned his stripes in that world. "And it all becomes part of a growing criminal CV. But people like Monaghan make enemies everywhere.' Pearson says he tried to warn of the threat posed by super cartels 20 years ago. He said: 'The South Americans realised their relationship with America was breaking down. Their drugs and money were being seized and they started looking for another business plan. 'Europe was ready and waiting for cocaine. The nation states had lowered their borders, so moving between them became very easy. 'The only problem was getting the product in. It started with West Africa, then Spain and then the Dutch ports. 'Gangs from all over Europe, which had previously been involved with other types of drugs, sex trafficking and theft, all became interested. 'Glasgow gangs were involved in shoplifting jewellery and gold and had contacts in other countries who were willing to buy and sell. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the authorities to pay much attention.' 6 Monaghan boldly approached godfather Daniel Kinahan several years ago Credit: The Sun Monaghan's links with the Kinahan cartel Irish Sun crime editor Stephen Breen, who wrote the book Kinahan Assassins along with colleague John Hand, knows all about the Irish crime cartel. He revealed that Ross Monaghan came up while the pair were doing research for their book. Stephen said: 'Ross Monaghan had cropped up in terms of someone who had connections to Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh. 'He's now serving time for drug trafficking but it shows you the Kinahan reach, the tentacles are spread far and wide. 'We were doing research for the book and his name came up in terms of having meetings around 2016-2017 with the Kinahan organisation. 'The Kinahan organisation had a branch in the UK, and the CEO of that branch was Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh. 'He was meeting individuals from Glasgow, from Liverpool, from Birmingham, from London and it was all about the wholesale trafficking of drugs into the UK. He added: 'You always have organised crime groups calling on their associates, calling on their resources and their contacts across Europe for help if a gangland war takes place. 'It's very possible that this could happen on this occasion although the Kinahans have been fairly decimated by the investigations of the Irish authorities and targeting those who were prepared to take up the gun on their behalf.' Last Saturday, Monaghan was watching the Champions League final with Eddie Lyons Jnr in his own bar in Fuengirola when the pair were shot in a horror gangland bloodbath. A masked gunman blasted Lyons Jnr dead outside the pub before turning his attention to Monaghan, who was shot several times as he tried to scramble for cover. Terrified customers and staff hid under tables and chairs and it's believed Monaghan may have had a £250,000 price tag in his head over a feud with a Spanish drugs cartel linked to the south of England. Spanish cops were able to ID executed Monaghan and Eddie Jnr as they 'knew them well'. Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay remembers watching Monaghan in court as he tried to dupe jurors into believing he was a 'smart, besuited and respectable young man'. The ex-crime reporter said: 'This was a complete fiction. He was a dangerous drug-dealing, gangland thug. 'It's usually the case in this world that foot soldiers end up in prison or dead. 'You would think the penny might drop that those ordering and directing the drugs and violence are often left counting the money. 'The Spanish authorities and Scottish counterparts should be asking themselves how on earth a drug-dealing thug and known member of a major international drugs gang appeared to have the ownership of a prominent business which quite literally had his name above the door? 'A guy like that should never have had the ability to put his name on assets for which the only source of their funding has been drugs."
Scottish Sun
12 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
The crack-riddled seaside town where dealers flog £15k hauls in Asda bags and junkies hole up in filthy ‘death row'
One local revealed 'I've had to knock a few crack heads out' as trouble on notorious street spirals BRID TOO FAR The crack-riddled seaside town where dealers flog £15k hauls in Asda bags and junkies hole up in filthy 'death row' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DESPAIRING residents of a world-famous seaside town are so fed up of its drugs problem they are taking antidepressants. Bridlington, in East Yorkshire - once an upmarket and bustling resort - is still renowned for its excellent shellfish and is referred to as the Lobster Capital of Europe. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 17 The seaside town of Bridlington has experienced a sharp decline in recent years Credit: NNP 17 Toilets, fridges and other junk rots at the front of boarded-up houses Credit: NNP 17 Simon Elvidge, 59, said he had to 'knock a few crackheads out' who started on him Credit: North News and Pictures 17 One local told how he was homeless for months but used his 'willpower' to stop being around the wrong people Credit: North News and Pictures Tourists continue to flock to the area, which was used as a filming location for the 2016 remake of Dad's Army, to take advantage of its sandy beaches and funfair. But a short distance from the promenade, on Tennyson Avenue, also known as "death row", drug deals are taking place in broad daylight. The scruffy terraced street was once the pride of the town and home to upmarket B&Bs, but in recent years has suffered a sharp decline. The Victorian buildings, which retain little of their former grandeur, have been converted into HMOs and flats or else lie empty and boarded up. Shortly before 8.30am on a grey, cloudy morning, a scrawny woman walks along the street, which is littered with empty cider cans, clutching a bottle of vodka. Residents speak of being forced to defend themselves against "crack heads" and nightmare neighbours, who set fire to their flats. One pensioner says she used to be proud to call Tennyson Avenue home, but now barely recognises it. The woman, who was too scared to give us her name, said: "The best thing about Bridlington now is the road out of it. "Ex prisoners used to live next door, and they were drug taking and setting fire to the place. "It was 24/7. It was the first time in my life I had to get anti-depressants. Inside the seaside town named on of the WORST places to live in Britain "There is drug dealing going on all the time. There's a particular car I recognise and it's dropping things off all the time. "They deal everything, but it will definitely be crack cocaine. You see them outside houses waiting for drugs, doing their rain dance. "You can't go out now without your door locked. Houses around here are full of drugs. "When I moved here it was excellent. It was really quite wonderful. "I used to be proud to say, I live on Tennyson Avenue, but I'm not now. There's not much I can do, I have to live through it." 17 Lee Jenkinson (left), Liam Langton and Luke Gilson (right) were jailed over a £3m crack cocaine conspiracy Credit: Humberside Police 17 Locals say houses in the area are 'full of drugs' Credit: North News and Pictures 17 Sat between Tennyson Avenue and the beach is a former HMO Credit: North News and Pictures 17 One CCTV camera has been painted over, rendering it useless Credit: North News and Pictures Simon Elvidge worked as a commercial diver before he was diagnosed with cancer and moved to the street. The 59-year-old has been forced to fend off drug takers determined to start fights while high on cocaine. He said: "This road used to be posh. But now it is full of druggies and drugs. "It has gradually become worse but I think this is happening to every seaside town. "They deal all sorts of drugs around here. At one point we had a place on the corner which used to house people coming out of jail. "That was a mini crime wave. They would shoplift to pay for their drugs. "The police are up and down all of the time. I worry about it but I can handle myself. I've had to do it a few times. "I've had to knock a few crack heads out. One time I had a guy who came up to me and wanted to start a fight. "But they don't even know what they're doing most of the time, they're so high. "I've been here six years but I came from a village to move here. "That was a huge eye opener for me." Left to rot Sat between Tennyson Avenue and the beach is a former HMO which is now boarded up and in a state of neglect. A sign stuck to the outside simply reads: "CLOSED. To protect your community from anti-social behaviour." Around the corner, CCTV cameras operate in the back alleyways and there are signs warning people not to fly-tip. One camera has been painted over, rendering it useless. 17 The promenade sits a short distance from Tennyson Avenue Credit: North News and Pictures 17 Retired electrician Ken Wicks, 80, tries to stay away from the troubled spots, but says there's poverty everywhere Credit: North News and Pictures 17 An old sofa sits at the top of the garden, dirty and neglected Credit: North News and Pictures Tennyson Avenue was recently home to Michael Severn, until he was sent to prison for six-and-a-half years for drug dealing. Severn, 31, was found with an ASDA carrier bag between his legs containing £15,000 worth of cocaine. A local who didn't want to be named tells us he used to be part of the area's criminal activity before turning his life around. The young man said: "I grew up around here. It has gone really downhill. "It used to be a thriving town and it was a main seaside attraction but now lots of places have closed down. "Drug deals happen all down this road. They deal all kinds of drugs but definitely crack cocaine. 17 Michael Severn was sent to prison for six-and-a-half years for drug dealing Credit: Humberside Police 17 Bridlington was once a thriving town Credit: alamy 17 It was a vastly popular tourist destination Credit: alamy "I've had my own demons in the past but came out the other side. "I was homeless for months but I used my will power and stopped being around the wrong people. "All of the people who told me to hang around and stay are the ones still living in tents now. "There is one back alley just off this road where all of the druggies go to. "They are all over this area. You see them waiting around in plain sight." Desperate deprivation The most up-to-date figures released by the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) ranked Bridlington South as the 45th most deprived area in England out of almost 33,000. In 2021 there were 30 drugs death in East Riding, up from 22 in 2020. And last year, Bridlington suffered the humiliation of being named the worst coastal resort in Yorkshire. In March, three criminals were sent down for a combined 17 years after flooding the town with £3million worth of crack cocaine. Lee Jenkinson, 32, Luke Gibson, 35, and Liam Langton, 27, were snared after a lengthy police probe into rising violence and drug activity between gangs in the town. 17 Georgina Marie, 28, worries for her little one, as she sees people 'openly drug deal' in the street Credit: North News and Pictures Georgina Marie is originally from Hull but moved to Bridlington to live with her partner. The tutor fears for the future of her one-year-old daughter. The 28-year-old said: "We live five minutes from the centre and people will openly drug deal in the middle of the afternoon in the street. "But they will admit to doing it. They don't hide it. "It's a lot of weed in the town centre but there's other drugs elsewhere. I worry for my little one. If I had my own way I'd live in the middle of nowhere and send her to a private school. Georgina "They are trying to make it a better area for the tourists rather than the people who live here. "We don't need a new car park, we need community centres for the kids. "A new car park will be great for the tourists but the locals won't use it. But instead kids are on the streets here because they have nowhere else to go. "I would go to the park as a kid but now they're not safe enough." "Now we see drug dealing in Bridlington and I worry it will escalate to people carrying knives etc. by the time my daughter is older." 17 Now, shops stand boarded up or vacant Credit: North News and Pictures 17 In 2015, Bridlington transformed into Walmington-on-Sea for the filming of the Dad's Army movie Credit: REX A spokesperson for East Riding of Yorkshire Council pointed to their Clear Hold Build scheme, which is a "concerted effort to improve quality of life in Bridlington, including by tackling organised crime and antisocial behaviour". They added: "The aim is to disrupt and dismantle Organised Crime Groups (OCGs) by clearing the area of OCGs, then building community resilience to prevent their return. "The council has also supported the police by using closure orders against council properties which have been the site of antisocial behaviour, to bring immediate relief to residents." Ian Foster, the Neighbourhood Policing Inspector for Humberside Police, said: "Over the past year our Neighbourhood Policing Team have been working relentlessly in Bridlington to tackle anyone who has been causing harm in the area. "We continue to take part in the multi-agency Home Office Clear Hold Build Initiative, which has involved large scale disruption of those involved in organised crime through warrants, arrests and charges. "As a result of our ongoing work through this initiative, since April 2024, the courts have issued a total of 99 years and five months in prison sentences in relation to organised crime in Bridlington. "With continued operations to tackle organised crime gangs and drugs dealing, such as Operation Shield, we continually gather intelligence, conduct Misuse of Drugs Act warrants and arrest and bring to justice those who commit drugs offences in our communities. "Throughout the summer months we have also been running Operation Coastline, our proactive approach to tackling crime in our coastal region as the number of visitors increases. "Bridlington is a fantastic place to live, work and visit and we are proud to be part of the community here. "I urge anyone with any concerns or information about crime to please get in touch via our non-emergency 101 line or speak to an officer on patrol."
Metro
16 hours ago
- Metro
‘Vigilantes' murdered innocent dad-of-one they thought was a paedophile
Two men murdered a dad-of-one they mistakenly thought was a paedophile. Mark Roberts and David Garland killed Michael Wheeler after they found news reports about a man – also called Michael Wheeler – who sexually abused two 13-year-old girls in 2003. Prosecuting, David Elias, KC, said Mr Wheeler, 37, from Yeovil, Somerset, was not the same person and had no convictions for child sexual offences. He was also friends with both men but owed £100 to Roberts. When Mr Wheeler disappeared, his mum was suffering from a terminal illness and passed away before she found out what happened to her son. Bristol Crown Court heard Mr Wheeler was attacked at Roberts' flat in August last year, and suffered 11 skull and facial fractures. Garland and Roberts then hid his body, and three weeks after Mr Wheeler's death, police received information he had come to serious harm. They found no proof of his being alive after 24 August 2024. One of the last sightings of him was on CCTV at a petrol station just a few hours before his death. His remains were eventually found in a derelict caravan on farmland in Yarlington on Wednesday 25 September. Detective Superintendent Lorett Spierenburg said: 'Michael Wheeler was brutally murdered by people he had considered as friends. More Trending 'He was killed over a £100 debt and because they wrongly decided he had been jailed for child sex offences in 2003, when he would have been just 16 years old. 'The defendants gave Michael no opportunity to tell them they were wrong. Instead, they took the life of a man whose last words to his ex-wife were of love for her and their daughter.' Roberts, 39, of Juniper Close, and Garland, 40, of no fixed abode, were both remanded in custody pending a sentencing hearing, expected to be Friday 13 June. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Man, 20, charged with terrorism and hoax threat to blow up his local Asda MORE: Boy, 16, killed in Sheffield 'hit and run' was walking 'to pick up a takeaway' MORE: Retired vicar admits role in 'Eunuch Maker' extreme body modification ring
