‘Dying’ high street ‘taken over by drug dealers in Covid’ sparks shopkeeper row

2023-03-14

Shop owners on one of Britain's high streets have spoken out against an area taken over by gangs and drug dealers during Covid with "fights out there every single day".

Exeter's South Street is plagued by anti social behaviour which is so bad they "wouldn't come to this street at all" out of work hours, traders say.

South Street has been earmarked by Exeter City Council as an area for improvement as they launch an initiative to try and revitalise business and commerce in the area.

READ MORE: Gary Glitter thrown back in prison after probe into 'use of phone to ask about Dark Web'

Business owners say they fear new plant pots that will be put in the area to enhance the street will only be more of an issue as they will become "ashtrays or toilets" or "put through windows," reported DevonLive.

For years now, traders have voiced concerns that antisocial behaviour and drug use has driven away customers.

Manager of City Barbers Kieran Shaw told DevonLive the situation had become much worse since the pandemic.

UK weather maps show more snow coming today as Brits face 8-inch Arctic blast tomorrow

His barbershop is located at the top of South Street, which Kieran says is where trouble normally starts.

He said: "It's been horrendous, actually involving this shop. The windows have been put through, our boss got attacked out there. Not long ago, we had two [people] in here and one of them was threatening to stab one of my co-workers.

Evil stalker burned woman alive and crushed her before 'entombing remains in concrete'

"It's less busy than the rest of town and it's the benches, a hundred per cent. When it rains, they go to the bus stop. I think through COVID, when nobody was allowed out, they had the run of the town.

"The only thing that's going to stop that kind of thing going on down here is taking the benches away. There's been incidents where there has been a group of old people sat on the bench and it'll all start kicking off and they'll go away, it's scary."

Meanwhile, manager of phone repair shop Phone Trends, Toqir Aslam, said there was "no way at all" he would come to South Street in his free time.

Toqir said: "This street is dying and unfortunately we are in the world of closing the business here. If I am not working here, I won't come to this street at all and especially with the family, no way at all."

Necati Zurel, who owns a chip shop on the street, says they are plagued by the same problems.

Even customers have complained over fighting as "when you're eating, you don't want to see blood".

He said: "The meeting point is across the road and before the pandemic, they all [went] there, they're drinking, they start talking then after that they start shouting, arguing with each other and then end up in a police station."

To get more stories from the Daily Star delivered straight to your inbox sign up to one of our free newsletters here.

READ NEXT:

UK weather charts show when Britain's big freeze is set to thaw and enter Spring
Elle Brooke's opponent says she 'wouldn't have touched her' if she'd known about her job
Woman who says she's Madeleine McCann submits DNA samples that could prove claim
Dad dubbed 'worst father in Scotland' used benefit cash for baby milk on booze and cigs
'World’s oldest Humboldt penguin' dies just a few weeks before 33rd birthday

Source: Read Full Article