4 days ago
We live on the most deprived high street in the UK – people defecate on the road & gangs leave it a no-go zone after 6pm
IT was once the pride of the community, bustling with shoppers stocking up at the local butcher and grocer before grabbing a cuppa at a nearby cafe.
Parliament Road in Middlesbrough was at the heart of a working-class community, in a town once famous for its iron and steelworks.
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But this former thriving stretch is now a shadow of its former self as our high streets slowly turn into ghost towns.
A startling new report reveals the extent to which the country's traditional shops have been replaced with takeaways, vape and betting outlets, while banks, department stores and even public toilets disappear.
Across the UK, vape shops have surged by an astonishing 1,200 per cent since 2014, while the number of takeaways has risen by 24 per cent.
In the half-mile stretch of Parliament Road, The Sun counted 15 fast food outlets, from those selling fish and chips to shawarma and Chinese food, plus two betting units, three corner shops flogging vapes and four shuttered stores.
One shopper said: 'It used to be beautiful here, but it all started to go downhill in the 2000s.'
Unhealthy lifestyles
It's a picture repeated across the UK, as out-of-town shopping centres, discount outlets and online giants kill off the high street.
The pandemic was the final nail in the coffin, with many local stores forced to shut their doors for good.
Experts also point to a country-wide divide, with three times the number of pawnbrokers and twice the number of vape shops in the north compared to the south.
One in ten department stores has vanished in some northern towns, compared with a 12 per cent rise in the south.
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More than two in ten supermarkets have shut in Yorkshire and the Humber, and poorer northern areas have up to three times more bookies.
Authors of the Ghost Town report, compiled by Health Equity North, warn that the state of Britain's high streets is promoting unhealthy life- styles in towns already blighted by unemployment and deprivation.
The research team, led by academics from Newcastle and Manchester universities, wants the Government to regulate the number of takeaways, off-licences, vape shops and bookies in high streets — and step in to protect pubs, community centres and libraries where locals can meet.
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Middlesbrough was last year dubbed 'Britain's sickest town', with nearly a third of 16 to 24-year-olds jobless.
Local council figures revealed that 71 per cent of over-18s in the area were overweight or obese, while 25 per cent of reception class age children were classed as too heavy.
Parliament Road is at the centre of a residential area, with rows of terraced houses shooting off the main thoroughfare. Locals say the once tight-knit community has disintegrated over the years as local shops have vanished.
In March this year alone, 23 crimes were reported in the area — ten were violent or sexual offences.
Shopper Elizabeth Gray, 40, a carer who lives nearby, told how the area started its decline before Covid.
She said: 'I've seen people defecating on the street. It's so run down.
'The street started to decline a while ago, well before Covid, and it's all takeaways and charity shops now.
'It used to be beautiful here.
'There was a butcher's shop, a pram store and a florist.
'Crime is rife now, too. I was burgled and reported it to the police.
I've seen people defecating on the street, it's so run down.
Elizabeth Grey
'I started spotting kids wearing my children's clothes and saw my ornaments in other people's homes. But the police said they couldn't do anything about it.'
Saqib Anwar, who works at the local Food Maestro fast food shop, says some restaurants are shifting up to 500 takeaways a day.
The 26-year-old explained: 'It used to be a treat, but now it's all the time. Families are ordering takeaways every single day — for breakfast, lunch and dinner.'
Retired barman Brian Mahony, 66, said Parliament Road once had so many shops that locals did not need to go into town.
He added: 'It was like a community. We had a butcher and a fruit shop, and you could buy anything you wanted. Now it's takeaways and vape shops.
"We were tight-knit here, but there's been a lot of immigration issues and we have gangs of men who stand on the street, chew on sunflower seeds and spit them out on the pavement.
'Lots of elderly people feel intimidated and don't leave their homes after 6pm.'
Brian agreed with the report's findings of a north-south divide.
'We feel forgotten'
He said: 'Down south, they put more money into high streets and make sure their local food stores keep going so people have fresh food. We feel forgotten about.'
Arthur Thompson, 75, who owns The Hardware Store on the ailing street, said: 'It was a lovely high street back in the day.
'Now there are shops selling vapes to children and takeaways selling unhealthy food. We've got a small Tesco Express, but it's expensive and people can't afford to shop there.
'The council tries to support small businesses, but it's been tough since Covid.
'People no longer come to the high street because they're used to shopping online.'
The report also reveals that the number of supermarkets in Britain has fallen by ten per cent nationally, while every local authority across the country has lost between nine and 34 per cent of its retail units since 2014.
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It has been compounded by the demise of major chains such as BHS and Debenhams.
Adam Todd, professor of pharmaceutical public health at Newcastle University, who helped draw up the report, said: 'For generations, the high street has been the beating heart of our towns and cities — places we can go to shop, eat, meet friends and feel part of our communities.
'Today, they feel like a shadow of themselves.
Now it's takeaways and vape shops. We were tight-knit here but there's been a lot of immigration issues and we have gangs of men who stand on the street.
Brian Mahony
'Community amenities and services such as banks, pharmacies and department stores are vanishing, to be replaced by unhealthy fast food takeaways, vape shops and bookmakers.
'Protecting these spaces for the next generation isn't just about restoring them to some nostalgic vision of town centres past.
'We need to respond to changing habits and offer more pedestrianised and attractive spaces — places where people will want to gather, socialise and enjoy a sense of place.'
Big-name shops we have lost
WH SMITH is the latest famous name to be erased from Britain's high streets. It will be rebranded TG Jones after hundreds of shops were sold in a £76million rescue deal in March this year.
The 233-year-old company offloaded part of its business to Modella Capital, which owns Hobbycraft, but will continue its lucrative travel arm, with shops at airports and railway stations.
And it is far from the only big name to face problems or vanish entirely from our ailing high streets over the past decade.
WOOLWORTHS
THE pick-n-mix giant fell into administration in 2008 and closed its 807 stores in January the following year with £385million of debt. Around 27,000 people lost their jobs. Most of the premises were bought by Poundland and Iceland.
DEBENHAMS
THE department store left the high street for good in 2021 after struggling to recover from the pandemic. It fell into administration first in 2019 and again the next year when Covid arrived.
After initially closing 22 stores, it had hoped to continue trading and reopen some of its 142 shops but was bought out by Boohoo the following year in a £55million deal.
TOYS R US
THE American brand got into financial trouble in 2018 and shut all of its 100 UK shops as a result. It has now started opening concessions in WHSmith stores.
WILKO
AROUND 12,500 people lost their jobs when Wilko shut 400 stores in late 2023. It was bought by The Range in a £5million deal which meant shoppers could still buy goods online.
THE BODY SHOP
THE beauty store was rescued from administration last year after being forced to shut 82 stores. Its remaining 113 shops were bought by growth capital firm Aurea but it has since lost branches in Sheffield and Norwich.
ARGOS
SHUT 100 of its stores across 2023 and 2024 but has opened pick-up points in Sainsbury's.
Co-author Dr Eman Zied Abozied, a research associate at Newcastle University's population health sciences institute, said: 'All over the country, our high streets are becoming less healthy and less welcoming places to visit.
'This trend is only getting worse and it's even more pronounced in traditionally deprived areas.
'The disappearance of amenities such as supermarkets, pharmacies, banks and public toilets particularly affects groups such as women, children and the elderly.
'But what we are seeing impacts all of us.
'The deterioration of our high streets makes our centres feel less safe, less inviting and, ultimately, makes us feel more disconnected as communities.'
