It is one of the most dangerous neighbourhoods in Europe (Image: Getty)
Europe has many housing estates stricken by poverty that have become hotspots for violent crime and drug dealing.
Perhaps one of the most famous is Le Vele – a sprawling housing estate in Scampia on the outskirts of .
The estate was immortalised in the TV series , and was the power base of the fictional and brutal Savastano clan.
Before the series, le Vele was already notorious for being the biggest international drugs and arms supermarket in western Europe.
Zinedine Zidane grew up on the estate (Image: Getty)
in France also has areas blighted by poverty and deprivation that have become synonymous with crime.
The so-called “Quartiers Nord” comprise some of the toughest and dangerous neighbourhoods of the city, and include the housing estates Font Vert and La Castellane.
Gangsterism is an enticing prospect for many living on the estates, where 28% reportedly live on less than €630 (£528) a month.
The most notorious of these estates is perhaps La Castellane, where France’s legendary footballer grew up.
The housing estate was the subject of a recent podcast where it received far from glowing reviews.
La Castellane has become a ‘no go’ area for police and tourists (Image: Getty)
Don’t miss… [NEWS]
A user wrote: “Was listening to a podcast where they talked about La Castellane in Marseille and dubbed it the worst neighbourhood in all of (at least western) Europe.
“Apparently outsiders are not welcome and the state/government essentially has no control of the area despite several attempts at establishing some sort of rule of law.”
paid in an episode of his Extreme World hit series.
The former actor hired two guides to drive him into the heart of the den of crime and iniquity.
Kemp sets the tone and builds up the tension as he says: “Ever since we arrived in Marseille, we’ve been told by everybody including the police, that we shouldn’t go into the estates.
“It’s too dangerous to go in to them and if we should go in to them we are going to be attacked, the camera will be taken off us and the car could possibly be burnt out.”
In the event, they made it out alive, with the only alarming moment coming when someone threw a block of ice out of the window that hit the bonnet of the car.
The estates have produced their fair share of famous personalities. Besides Zidane, one of the Quartiers Nord best known sons is the rapper Soso Maness.
Originally of Algerian descent, his song featuring the rapper PLK reached number one on the French Singles Chart.
Arrested for drug trafficking in 2015, his songs mainly evoke his past as a dealer.