People living in this small and seemingly ordinary town say it’s ‘worse than the Bronx’ (Image: John Myers)
People living and working in a small and otherwise unremarkable town say it has become so rife with crime it’s become a “no-go area” after dark. Residents say teenagers intimidate elderly people to the extent they no longer feel safe to sit at the bus station or even visit the town on weekday evenings and weekends.
They also report people throwing things at shoppers and traders during the weekend market, thugs hurling bricks towards shop windows and youths carrying knives. In fact, one alarming confrontation recently involved a teen chasing another with a blade until the intended victim desperately sought refuge in a family friend’s home.
In a bid to tackle these issues in Blackwood, Caerphilly county, around 20 miles north of Cardiff, Blackwood town council convened an emergency meeting on Tuesday night — only for it to be invaded by disruptive yobs who barged into the council building and resisted efforts to remove them.
A prompt police response saw the group disperse, albeit not without consequences, with a seized roll of food caddy bags being thrown about the market square and bus station and commercial bins kicked over with their contents littering the streets of Blackwood.
In recent weeks, Blackwood has faced a troubling rise in anti-social behaviour (Image: John Myers)
Amid rising tensions, many people asked to remain anonymous due to fears of retaliation. One local trader candidly remarked: “I value my windows too much”, a sentiment that echoes the concerns raised after a brick recently shattered one store window.
In their effort to tackle the chaos, Gwent Police has announced a fresh joint-agency operation in the heart of Blackwood town centre, which has already led to several arrests connected to public disorder allegations.
Lamenting the dire state of affairs, deputy mayor George Etheridge said: “Blackwood has become worse than the Bronx with anti-social behaviour. It is completely out of control.
“Blackwood bus station is a continual problem with e-scooters and bikes being ridden through the bus station and youngsters terrorising people. We have elderly people waiting for buses who have complained about not feeling safe and are intimidated. Bus drivers are abused and have things thrown at them and bus windows are targeted with stones. Bus station windows are being smashed and time table holders defaced and destroyed. Graffiti covers the walls of the bus station.”
Caerphilly county borough council has a £47m budget shortfall (Image: John Myers)
Amid a gaping £47m budget shortfall, Caerphilly county borough council’s proposal to make steep cuts has sparked outrage, particularly over the potential removal of safety wardens from Blackwood.
“The town council has put two proposals to Caerphilly council, which has just rejected them as it says it is not cost effective, but the town council has offered to pay,” said Cllr Etheridge.
“Caerphilly council has put a proposal forward to cut the community safety wardens at a time where they are a vital asset to the community and a lifeline to businesses and residents. I am also concerned as if the safety wardens are lost it means taxpayers’ money has also been wasted on a new CCTV van that will sit idle.”
Gwent Police set various dispersal orders in a bid to handle local disturbances, locals feel these measures have failed. The latest dispersal operation, starting January 16, lasted only 48 hours.
Cllr Etheridge remarked: “Gwent Police have put dispersal orders in place. These only move the problem from one area to another until the order finishes and then the gangs of youths return to the hotspot of Blackwood bus station and the town centre.”
He continued: “Knife crime seems to allegedly be on the rise and reports on social media and complaints to councillors back this. Innocent younger children are being targeted by groups of older teenagers who are looking to cause potential harm. Businesses are having to close early due to safety concerns and fear for staff safety. The problem is as much as the youngsters are a pain, you have to admit these teenagers have got very little. When we were kids there were various clubs whereas now there is nothing for them.”
Last week Cllr Kevin Etheridge said he decided he had to take the issues to the chief constable and the police and crime commissioner, who met with councillors on Thursday to try to thrash out a plan. He said: “We had a productive meeting with Gwent Police but I had to write to the chief constable and the police and crime commissioner before this was taken seriously enough for a meeting. I do feel it’s quite sad it took me to write that letter for them to intervene.
“This problem has become very very bad in the last six weeks. People are now telling me they don’t go to Blackwood in the evenings and late afternoons because they tell me it’s now a no-go area. This is crippling for our local businesses. We have been encouraged by what we have heard in the meeting and now is time for action and not words.”
Cllr Andrew Short, a mechanic and antiques dealer based across the street fopr the bus station, said he chaperones people terrified to wait alone for their buses.
“It is worse at the bus station and around the bus station,” he remarked, noting the alarming police presence.
Market square in Blackwood is also targeted in evenings and weekends (Image: John Myers)
“Yesterday evening there must have been 40 police here. There are always plenty of police most nights. But it hasn’t changed much.
“It’s never been as bad as it is now. I can’t even describe it. I’ve worked in Splott and Grangetown and yet I’ve never seen the level of disrespect and abuse you get here. Gangs of youths hang around the bus station and they’ll start on everyone and anyone for no reason. It’s just fun for them isn’t it? They get a kick out of intimidating people.”
“I have elderly people who want to use the bus coming here and waiting with me before their bus arrives. That’s how bad this is. They’re actually coming over to the mechanic and waiting here. They’re scared stiff and you can’t blame them. It’s dangerous over there, so much so the bus drivers have panic alarms. They’re not kids we’re talking about. They’re 12 to 18. I’d now go as far to say it’s not safe myself. The police are fighting a losing battle because of all the nutters. There’s nothing for youngsters here to do. That’s part of the problem. Grassroots facilities and services have slowly drained away in Blackwood and that’s where the problem really lies.”
‘I’d now go as far to say it’s not safe’ says one resident of Blackwood (Image: John Myers)
The historic 70-year-old market, a staple of local trade on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, has become a hotbed of antisocial behaviour, with traders and customers reporting a series of troubling incidents with things being thrown in and at the market on weekends, hurling objects over a wall that borders the market space, often striking the traders’ stalls below.
One fearful trader, who requested anonymity due to fears of retribution, revealed that the upheaval has deterred shoppers and left many stallholders feeling under threat.
Adjacent to the beleaguered marketplace, Ewan Thayer, an employee at the nearby gym, spoke out about the issues plaguing the area: “There are loads of teenagers constantly messing about outside. But it goes beyond that. We’ve had them breaking into the gym and on one occasion they sprayed a can of aerosol in members’ faces.
“It’s intimidating for older members especially. It’s a real issue. Sometimes there are 20 of them. Two weeks ago five of them came in running around in here and then locked themselves in the disabled toilets. They were drinking alcohol. I’ve got it all on camera. There has been an incident earlier this month where a teenager has chased another teenager with a knife up the hill and into the housing estate. The teenager being chased ended up safe in a house of a family friend before they called the police. It’s a crazy situation.”
One incident reported saw one teen chase another with a knife (Image: John Myers)
Police have installed gates at both ends of the high street to combat rambunctious racers terrorising locals, according to a long-time resident who wished to remain nameless. Describing the tense atmosphere, they said: “In the day it’s quiet because they might be in school and because there’s no market here.
“Once the market’s here you get them up on the top hurling things down. In the night time it’s very intimidating for anyone else here because they congregate in this area and for old people especially it feels dangerous. There is an alleyway which runs out of the town centre and into the housing estates above so they can get away from police pretty easily. There have always been problems though. We did have issues with people racing their cars through the high street. On Thursday nights they’d meet there and race their cars. It was mad. Now they’ve got gates either side and they close the high street off every day.”
Chief Inspector Stevie Warden of Gwent Police said issues of anti-social behaviour in Blackwood have been “mindless” and “unacceptable”.
“Our officers continue to work with our community safety partnership to do all we can to tackle anti-social behaviour in the town,” he said. “The bus station, for instance, is one of our known areas for anti-social behaviour and that is factored into our daily patrols and tailored Operation Lumley plans. We are aware of the recent reports of disorder over the last few weeks and councillors’ concerns, and we continue to work collaboratively with partner agencies to tackle this.”
Police have urged parents ask parents to think about what their children are getting up to (Image: John Myers)
The chief inspector continued: “In the last two weeks we’ve issued numerous dispersal orders, arrested and charged a 17-year-old girl for breaching a community protection notice and we will continue to carry out regular patrols in the area and take appropriate action against anti-social behaviour. Positively, we’ve seen a decrease in anti-social behaviour in Blackwood in recent days but our work does not stop here.
“Tackling the issue goes beyond just policing, we would ask parents, guardians and carers to consider do you know where your children are socialising, and do you know if they’re involved in what is being reported to us? And we urge them to have conversations to help these young people understand that not only are these actions having a negative impact on those around them, that any offences committed by them could negatively impact their futures – whether that’s stopping from getting their dream job, applying for a car loan, or the chance to travel.”
Caerphilly council was also approached for comment