Latest news with #Hull
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Life inside one of Britain's most dangerous neighbourhoods: How locals in Hull suburb are fighting drugs crime crisis
IT was once the lifeblood of Hull 's fishing industry, home to proud dockers and hard-working trawlermen. But today, Hessle Road stands as a microcosm of decay, despair, and lawlessness in modern Britain. The mile-long stretch, once bustling with traders and community spirit, now finds itself overrun by crime and anti-social behaviour. The St Andrews and Docklands area, where the street lies, recorded a staggering 1,662 crimes per 1,000 people last year - making it one of the most dangerous neighbourhoods in the country outside of London, Birmingham and Liverpool. Residents told how they fear for their safety while businesses struggle to survive amid an epidemic of shoplifting and violence. Nini Thompson, 50, has lived in the area all her life and no longer trusts the police to keep her safe. She said: 'I've lived here all my life and it's just getting worse and worse. I've seen the place go to the dogs. 'The crime levels are through the roof - you name it, we've got any kind of crime. Drug dealing, prostitution, begging, shoplifting, violence, money laundering. 'The crackhead scene is just ridiculous.' Last week, her partner's £470 electric bike was stolen by a man 'off his face', who sold it for £50 to fund his next fix. Nini did not bother to report it. She said: 'My boyfriend went to the chemist on his bike. A smackhead crept up behind him and nicked it. 'He fled on it - nearly knocking a pram over in the process. 'I was told pretty quickly who had taken it and I sorted it out myself. That's what you have to do around here.' At Rayners pub, once a favourite haunt of returning fishermen, the large windows are now covered in sheets of cellophane, having been smashed not for the first time. While a previous attack was blamed on a punter angry that the fruit machine had not paid out, this time yobs hurled bricks as customers drank inside. Barmaid Mandy Lowe, 60, said: 'Someone just chose to put them through at tea time on a Thursday. 'Thankfully the glass was shatterproof, otherwise people might have been hurt. 'We've not idea who did it but we won't let it beat us. We've stayed open as usual.' Like many British high streets, Hessle Road itself is now a landscape of shuttered shops, Turkish barbers, betting shops and takeaways. Shopkeepers say the area has become a no-go zone for honest trade, describing how the area is plagued by drug dealers, sex workers, and beggars. Jason Crumblin, 44, moved from Australia to open a giftware store on Hessle Road. Now he's planning to pack up and return to Melbourne after being blighted by shopliftings. He said: 'Theft is everywhere. Unless it's tied down, they'll steal it. 'I've been plagued by shoplifting the whole time I've been here. 'It's a big reason why a lot of businesses are shutting on this road. They can't survive. 'It's the foreigners who steal more than the English people. I don't take my eyes off them, which is terrible and it just shouldn't have to be like that.' Upon arrival in the city, he said he was shocked by the flagrant drug use on the streets. He added: 'Drugs are illegal in Australia, too, but you don't have people walking down the street brazenly smoking a joint. 'To be honest, I can't wait to go home. I'm going back to the beach.' St Andrews and Docklands is a Lower Layer Super Output Area (LSOA), a term used to describe zones of 1,000 to 3,000 people created for administrative purposes. According to official figures, the area recorded 2,458 crimes last year — for a population of just 1,533. The bulk of reported crimes relate to violence, sexual offences and shoplifting. Like many British high streets, Hessle Road itself is now a landscape of shuttered shops, Turkish barbers, betting shops and takeaways Frank Moore, 58, who grew up on the streets surrounding Hessle Road, said theft and robberies were a big issue in the area. He said: 'In the past you used to be worried about people taking the baby from the pram, now they want the pram and not the baby. 'I don't like walking down here at night, I don't feel safe. You feel intimidated - like you could be mugged at any moment. 'It's a crying shame because this area used to be great. But it's just not what it used to be.' Father-of-three Andy Hendin, 34, told how his young daughter Sailor-Rae's bike was stolen from their front garden. He blamed a surge in anti-social behaviour on an influx of arrivals from Eastern Europe. He said: 'I think the locals who have grown up around here have got a bit more respect. Some of them can be t***s but most people don't want to cause trouble where they live. 'If there's a problem we will sort it between ourselves. 'Sadly, and I hate to say it, but the bulk of crime comes from people who have moved here from other countries. 'Shoplifting and begging is a real issue and the prostitution is rife. 'You'll regularly walk down the street and be offered something that's just been nicked from shop. 'You can't go out without someone asking you for money. The other day I had a big bag of shopping and there was a bloke behind me just prodding through it. He added: 'You put your rubbish bin out for collection and then people will go searching through it. They'll tear through it and leave the rubbish strewn across the road.' Part of London's West End known for pickpockets and robberies had the highest crime rate last year of 16,348 per 1,000 residents, followed by two other areas in Westminster and then Ladywood in Birmingham (5,777 per 1,000). Areas in Brighton, Newcastle, Liverpool and Bradford also made the top 10. Jake Casprzak, 21, recently opened the Kasa vape shop, proudly displaying his merchandise. But he was quickly forced to hide them behind lock and key after children as young as 13 began stealing from his displays. He said: 'I'd love to have kept everything on display but I have to do it differently or I'd have no stock left. 'So, now our goods are behind the counter and in locked cabinets, which is a shame.' Mr Casprzak has installed security measures including barbed wire and steel-plated doors at the rear of his premises. He added: 'I've had people in the shop clearly scouting it out to see how they could get in or what they could take. 'It's crazy what you've got to do around here. 'I grew up here and it's always been rough but it's got worse over the years.' Wary locals also told how money laundering was 'hidden in plain sight' across nail bars, takeaways, barbers and convenience stores in the area. More than one person told Mail Online of flamboyant shop owners driving luxury cars with personalised plates - despite their stores lying empty of custom. Genuine businesses appeared to know what fraud officers did not, pointing the finger at a nearby electronics shop, a launderette and a takeaway. 'No-one is ever in them,' a hairdresser said. 'You're telling me they can afford a Range Rover, while I struggle to put petrol in my Fiat Panda?' Another salon owner - who feared speaking out publicly would be a green light for retaliation - said: 'We've got to pay our rent, salaries, VAT and tax. Some of the salon owners don't take a wage because they're just trying to keep going. 'They've got to compete against so many shops that don't play by the book. We can't compete with their prices, so people like us, who are honest and legal, go under.' The hairdresser - who bears the burden of employing of a dozen workers - added: 'People across the country are experiencing the same thing. Salons can't afford to take trainees on any more because our bills are going up and we're being undercut. 'It's frightening - I don't sleep at night. 'I look at some of these cash-only businesses and think 'am I the daft one?'. A colleague agreed, adding: 'You see them driving around in bloody Range Rovers - we can't afford that. 'But we can't do anything. None of us would dare speak out or we'd get bombs through our windows. 'They even fight and argue with each other.' Another genuine business owner said money laundering was 'hidden in plain sight'. He said: 'When I first saw them I thought 'what the hell?'. How can they afford to pay the rent when they are sitting there filing their own nails? 'I'm fortunate that this shop is cheap to rent but I've still got the bills to pay. 'I look at some of businesses and they are in humongous premises with blingy signs - yet there's never anyone in them. 'Everyone knows what's going on.' Humberside Police neighbourhood inspector Dave Lonsdale said: 'Local policing teams continue to work closely with our partners and the community, to tackle local issues and support a safe, welcoming environment for everyone who lives, works, and visits the area. 'Hessle Road is a vibrant and busy part of the city with a strong community at its heart and the local neighbourhood policing teams are a part of this. 'They know the area well and work closely with the local authority as well as charities to fully understand the wider picture and bring about long-term sustainable solutions. 'We remain committed to tackling issues within the community through proactive policing, visible patrols and early intervention to address immediate challenges and their underlying causes. 'It is important that we continue to work with the local community to address concerns and tackle issues and I encourage anyone with any information surrounding criminality to get in touch with us. 'I would also encourage residents to sign up for My Community Alert to receive regular email updates about what is happening in your local area you can do this at A spokesperson for Hull City Council said: 'We take the concerns of residents extremely seriously and community safety remains a top priority for Hull City Council. 'From regular police patrols to new investment and community events, we are working with Humberside Police and our other key partners to deliver a coordinated response in the area. 'We are listening, we are acting, and we are investing in solutions to make the city a safer place to live.'
BBC News
5 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- BBC News
Painted murals transform Hull Green Corridor project
A cycle path in Hull has been transformed by people living in the area who have created a series of murals and planted shrubs to attract Green Corridor project covers the Stepney Cycle Path which runs between Duesbery Street and the former Stepney Lane Station off Beverley murals portray the history of the former railway connection to Hornsea as well more abstract Ballard, part of the Berkeley Street Neighbourhood Watch group which has worked on the revamp, said: "The artists have done a great job and it's amazing to see it all come together so people can benefit from it." He added: "There was a lot of anti-social behaviour and it wasn't seen as a nice place to go. The project is about people taking control of the areas where they live. The cycle path was created on the former railway line which ran to the coast at Hornsea until it was closed following the Beeching Report in the Ballard said the murals were created after people reminisced about "travelling on trains through the area on the way to the seaside".Six different artists were tasked with creating the colourful installations. Funding from the Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner was used to give training to younger artists to help with their creations. In addition to the murals, The Green Corridor scheme has supported the Hull Butterfly City project which has been running since 2019 to plant trees and shrubs to improve Ballard said: "Little things like putting in wild flowers and food plants are a simple way of improving habitats for wildlife."The fact we've been visible in picking up litter and trying to improve the area should make people feel more comfortable and make it a much nicer place to be." Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
BBC News
8 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Hull tabletop gamers level up struggling high street
With Warhammer creator Games Workshop riding high on the success of videogame Space Marine II and recently joining the FTSE 100, Josh Gorroño Chapman visits the tabletop gaming club thriving on a struggling high street in between Boyes and a vape shop, you could easily miss the small shopfront with "Hull's Angels" above the the staircase leading up from it, the hum of voices turns into a cacophony and I find myself in a large room packed with people."You've got the Hell's Angels motorbikers in America. We're not quite that," laughs Adam Stephenson, chair of the tabletop gaming club on of players are locked in battle across 18 tables, each populated with terrain from the shelves that line the explains the space had been empty for nine years and was not always the well-equipped gaming hub it has become."It used to be a William Hill betting site, so it took a lot of effort and time from our volunteers trying to make this our new home."They showed up, scrubbed the floors, scrubbed the walls and got painting," explains the 32-year-old. "It was a a great experience and we turned it around within a month." Mr Stephenson says the idea for a club first came about when they realised nowhere else in the city had the capacity for Warhammer games on this play the Games Workshop wargame, with the worldwide tabletop sector worth about £8.6bn in 2023, according to consumer data firm in 1983, players simulate battles between armies using painted plastic miniatures. "You may have a 100 model army," explains Adam, "all the way down to a five model. It's available for all sizes and budgets."Hull's Angels have set up their own leagues, matching players who want to get involved."It's great for growing that community and getting people together." Connor O'Neill says he first got into the hobby during Covid-19, "to keep [his] sanity", but has since found it is a great alternative to boozy nights out."As I got older I stopped going out partying and drinking and it was just a way for me to socialise," explains the 30-year-old. "A lot of the friends and people I associate with now are from this place."Asked what has driven the recent surge in interest he cites ex-superman actor Henry Cavill being a "poster boy" for the hobby as well as the videogames and media surrounding the Taylor, 32, thinks games like Warhammer offer a "very different sort of experience" to online games. "It's very social," he Atkin agrees. "I get bored after about 20 minutes," he says. "The computer's doing it all, whereas here I'm physically moving the pieces."The 70-year-old started playing in the early 1980s and says, while the scene in the city has "massively increased", having a place like Hull's Angels has really helped. "I had my garage kitted out, but it's much easier to come to a central hub." Amy Snuggs is sitting with her partner Tim Davis learning a new tabletop game. "It's changed my life," says the 32-year-old."Before I met him, I had no idea about miniature painting or war gaming."Finding she loved the painting side, she has now turned it into a job, becoming a professional miniature painter for tabletop gaming company 2020, Hull City Council received a £1.75m grant from Historic England to regenerate and "breathe new life" into Whitefriargate. The council said the street had been impacted by the Covid-19 Stephenson says centres like Hull's Angels could help revitalise Britain's high streets. "We see it in the news all the time. Our high streets are struggling and shops are struggling to stay open.""Places like this really seem to thrive and succeed, and it's maybe time for the high street to change."Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
BBC News
a day ago
- Health
- BBC News
Great Wall of China trek raises £85k for Dove House Hospice in Hull
A group of people who trekked along the Great Wall of China have raised more than £85,000 in support of a team took on the challenge to fundraise for Dove House Hospice, which is a charity that provides respite and end-of-life care for people in Hull and East hospice warned they were facing a funding shortfall in April due to rising Ruth Scott, from Hull, said she took part in the walk because the charity provided "incredible care" for vulnerable people and their families. Dove House costs about £11m a year to run, but the charity only receives about £1m in statutory funding. The rest of its funds are raised by the people signed up for the site's latest fundraising challenge and set off for China 17 May, walking a 31-mile (50km) route along the Great her return, Ms Scott said: "It's not an easy walk, incredibly steep in places, a lot of the wall is rubble."The views are just unbelievable. You can't comprehend."It's a privilege if I'm honest, to be able to go there."She said she had felt inspired by the charity's work throughout the challenge."They provide incredible care for people when they're really vulnerable," she said."They're in the last stages of their life, and they support people who are dying, and also the families."Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Britain's Got Talent's most viewed audition that led to over 1bn streams of song
Britain's Got Talent has seen plenty of acts rise to stardom since the ITV talent show first hit our screens back in 2007. From dancing dogs to magicians, dance groups and singers – there's rarely been a dull moment. Many of the acts from the show have gone on to become household names, including the likes of series one winner opera singer Paul Potts and Scottish songstress Susan Boyle – who caused a media frenzy when her first audition aired back in 2009. Susan was pipped to the post as winner of the show that year by street dance troupe Diversity. However, there's one act who has gone on to have an impact around the world since his first audition. Ten years ago in 2015, singer Calum Scott had one of the most iconic moments in the show with his song choice. His haunting rendition of 'Dancing on My Own', originally released in 2010 by Swedish pop star Robyn, saw Simon press his golden buzzer, winning him a place in the live semi-final and eventually, the final. Calum, from Hull, has gone on to have huge success as an artist, performing with the likes of Ed Sheeran, Leona Lewis and Take That. His recorded version of his audition track now totals more than 1bn streams on Spotify alone. Dancing on My Own reached number two in the UK charts upon its release in 2016 and was Britain's best-selling single that summer. Calum's first Britain's Got Talent audition has now had a staggering 399m views on the official BGT account on YouTube. It's the most watched from the talent show, followed by Susan Boyle with 263 million views. Recommended reading: Britain's Got Talent fans call for wildcard return of CJ Who are Britain's Got Talent 2025 finalists? Full list Surprise proposal on ITV's BGT leaves viewers in 'tears' Calum came in sixth place in the competition in 2015, losing out to winners Jules O'Dwyer and Matisse the dog. The 2025 series is the show's 18th and it comes to an end this weekend. Britain's Got Talent's live final airs on Saturday, May 31 at 7pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
