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EXCLUSIVE Life on seaside town estate where locals are plagued by cannabis smoking louts and where 'most people have been to prison or been robbed'
With its sweeping beaches, gentle waves and rows of brightly coloured chalets, picturesque Scarborough draws millions of visitors every year.
The historic North Yorkshire resort, dubbed the Jewel of the North, boasts elegant Victorian architecture, a historic castle, and some of the most stunning views in Britain.
Yet, just a mile from the bustling seafront and promenade lies a very different town - not seen on the postcards.
Tucked behind the tourist trail is Barrowcliff, a post-war housing estate that has long been associated with drugs, crime and poverty.
This is a place where buses once refused to stop, where the stench of cannabis hangs in the air, and where even Father Christmas stayed away after being targeted by yobs.
Mother-of-three Anoushka Waller, 46, who has lived on the estate for 25 years, said: 'You've got to be tough to live around here but I can deal with it. Some people can be a bit vicious and vindictive, and they want to cause trouble.
'There's a lot of weed around here. You breathe it in walking down the street like it's fresh air, there's that much of it.
'It's not great when the kids are playing in the street and there's the smell of cannabis everywhere.
'The police have raided a lot of places – they come searching fairly often.
'But when trouble happens, I don't think they get out here fast enough.'
Another woman, Kerry, 47, who has lived on the estate her whole life, told how appearances from Father Christmas were scrapped after yobs tried to mug his charity float.
She said: 'The bus didn't pull up on this side of the street for years because the drivers were too scared to come down here.
'They stopped Santa coming up for about 10 years because someone tried robbing him.
'That's how bad it got.
'But I've lived here all my life. It's my home.
'People say it's dangerous and we're all crazy but we're the nicest people you could meet.
'If you spent a day on this estate you'd have the biggest laugh you'd ever had in your life.'
Barrowcliff has been at the centre of a strong-armed police response to drive out crime and anti-social behaviour.
Pictures released by North Yorkshire Police in recent months show officers raiding terraced houses and carting off suspected drug dealers.
When Mail Online visited the estate on a warm Friday night, school-age children loitered in the street on scooters while the smell of cannabis hung firmly in the air.
But there was a general calm with no sign of rowdy teens causing trouble or drug dealing.
One woman, Julie, told Mail Online: 'If you're right with people, they'll be right with you.
'Don't get me wrong, I've had my share of trouble.
'I've been robbed at knifepoint, my door's been beaten down and my child was knocked unconscious.
'I was Tasered by police because I was chasing criminals down the street.
'You've got to stand up for yourself around here.
'I've been to jail, my son's been to jail, my ex is in jail. It's not just the lads, it's the girls as well.
'It's just part of life.'
She insisted: 'Barrowcliffe does drugs but it doesn't do hard drugs. Here it's about weed, nothing but weed.
'People have us down as Class A but it's cannabis. There aren't many who don't smoke it.'
Her adult son, who did not give his name, added: 'The estate is better than it used to be.
'You wouldn't have been able to get on the estate a few years ago. They would have nicked your camera.
'But there are too many grasses now so people have moved out to do their s*** elsewhere.'
In 2024, a Home Office strategy called 'Clear, Hold, Build' was launched in Barrowcliff to root out crime.
In March, specialist police officers rammed through doors to execute drug warrants on Wreyfield Drive – the latest in a series of dramatic raids on the estate.
Two months earlier, a teenage drug dealer who attacked another male with a shovel on Barrowcliff Road was detained for six years in a young offender institution.
Matthew Heap, 18, described by police as a 'well-known figure on the estate', battered his victim repeatedly over the head, leaving him with multiple injuries.
When arrested, Heap was also found in possession of 30 wraps of heroin and a 'burner' phone.
Police said upon sentencing: 'Heap is a well-known figure on the Barrowcliff estate, and we believe some witnesses hesitated to come forward due to fear of repercussions.'
Despite taking Heap off the streets, locals warned that someone else would be ready to take his place.
A father of four, who had lived on the street for a decade, said: 'The police come all the time and nick people for drugs.
'Some of them don't come back – either prison or they get shipped elsewhere.
'The problem is as soon as one dealer goes, another comes takes his place. It's like a virus you can't get rid of.'
Ewa Winkler, 37, moved to Scarborough from Lodz in Poland with her 12-year-old son.
She said she preferred life in the Barrowcliff estate to her 'crazy' native home.
She said: 'People said I was mad to move here – that it was dangerous. But I've lived here for four years and it's pretty quiet.
'In Lodz, I was scared to go out anywhere. Here, I'm going out at 9pm and nothing happens.
'Compared to Poland, it's a different world.
'A few weeks ago my son was beaten up in front of the takeaway which wasn't a nice situation.
'But I think that was a one-off.
'There were a lot of kids running drugs but that's changed in the past couple of years.
'The place has definitely improved.'
Locals say the estate has improved in recent years thanks to a crackdown on drug dealing and anti-social behaviour, but they admit life on the margins can still be tough - especially for families raising children.
Mother of three Anne-Marie Earle, 40, said: 'I love it here - but it is crap.
'It's crap for the young ones because they can't go anywhere or do anything.
'They're just left to their own devices on the street. That's when you get the criminal damage and the vandalism - because they're bored. Because there's nowt to do.
'You've got to be tough around here - it's Barrowcliff. You can smell the drugs everywhere.
'It can get a bit lively during the evening. You hear all the sirens and all the smack heads are walking about.
'We're desperate for this to be a better place for the children.'
Scarborough, despite its Victorian grandeur, is considerably poorer than the rest of North Yorkshire, with the highest levels of homelessness and the poorest health outcomes.
The town has long been a target for County Lines drug gangs - criminal networks who exploit teenagers to sell Class A drugs.
One gang based in the West Midlands flooded the town with heroin and crack cocaine, using local children to carry out their dirty work.
Its ringleader Riccardo Nathaniel Donalds, 36, from Birmingham - known as Ghost - was jailed for seven years in March.
Detective Constable Darrel Temple from Scarborough and Ryedale CID, who led the investigation, said: 'Referring to their own county lines drugs conspiracy as 'Ghost', the group thought they could operate with impunity between the West Midlands and Scarborough.
'Unfortunately for them, North Yorkshire Police 'ain't afraid of no ghost' or any other drug dealers for that matter.'
Scarborough was last month handed nearly £20m of government investment to improve its neighbourhoods.
Council chiefs insist change is coming and work is already under way to offer a brighter future.
When Mail Online visited the town, our reporters saw people brazenly breaching a recent police ban on street drinking.
At the seafront, shortly before midnight, around 15 teenagers and young adults gathered to drink and smoke as boy racers zoomed across a car park.
North Yorkshire Council's assistant chief executive for local engagement, Rachel Joyce, said: 'We work closely with partner agencies to support young people at risk of anti-social behaviour, offering early intervention and positive opportunities to help them make better choices and keep our communities safe.
'While we take concerns about crime seriously it's also important to recognise the significant investment that we're making to support Scarborough's long-term future.
'This includes a concerted campaign that is underway and involves working with the community and our partners for a series of clean-up events that are running throughout the summer, and we are also promoting culture and the arts through the Scarborough Fair initiative.
'A major investment in Scarborough is also planned through the Government's Plan for Neighbourhoods initiative, which has seen £20 million allocated to the town to support regeneration, create job opportunities, and improve health and wellbeing.'
North Yorkshire Police coast commander, Superintendent Rachel Wood, added: 'North Yorkshire Police works collaboratively with North Yorkshire Council in Scarborough to combat crime and disorder to make it a safe space for residents, businesses, and visitors.
'When necessary, we do utilise dispersal powers to quickly deal with arising anti-social behaviour, including incidents involving young people. We have issued 44 dispersal notices in the last six months alone.
'Our officers and PCSOs are fully engaged in the communities they serve and work with parents and local schools to help steer young people away from crime and anti-social behaviour.
'We also actively detect and deter drug dealing, including those involved in County Lines.
'As ever, it is vital that such incidents are reported to the police on 101 or via the North Yorkshire Police website.
'Alongside our community partners, we will continue to do everything we can to ensure Scarborough remains a safe place for everyone.'
