Inside estate terrorised by feral children doing drugs and smashing homes as aunt of nine-year-old t

February 2022 · 5 minute read

FERAL kids doing drugs and smashing up homes have left locals living in fear as their neighbourhood is over run.

Youths have been running riot around an estate in the West Denton area of Newcastle - setting fire to bins, throwing rubbish and smoking and drinking.

And locals today revealed what life was like as they were laid siege to in their own homes.

Speaking to the Sun Online, residents of more than 30 years said they couldn't believe their once peaceful community was being destroyed by the out-of-control youths.

One resident said she was so frightened she had even installed CCTV cameras around her house since moving a few years ago.

The woman, who was too scared to be named, said: "I regret moving here.

"They've been drinking, damaging properties."

And she said she felt "intimated" even while walking her dog around the area.

Recounting how she had seen horror stabbings near her home, she added: "I have cameras all over the place and that's why - for my own safety."

The ‘D Roads’ holds a number of streets in West Denton including Dayshield, Dunstan Walk, Darden Lough, Downham and Deerbush.

The area is just a stone's throw away from the former address of teen killer Ewan Ireland, who stabbed 52-year-old lawyer Peter Duncan to death at Newcastle's Eldon Square shopping centre earlier this year.

Neighbours revealed how their lives had been made a misery by constant police call-outs to the home including one where they saw his mum Kerry locked outside of the property while the teen allegedly "smashed up" the house inside.

'D ROAD HELL'

Photographs of the 'D-Road' area show walls and telephone boxes sprayed with graffiti, with rubbish strewn across the streets and damaged bins.

Another local of more than 30 years said: "It's terrible at the moment.

"They're in the gardens trying to put windows out.

"They have been smashing my fence. I've had to repair it three times in the last six months. Their behaviour is costing me money.

"They hang out in the empty houses and throw rubbish over. "

And he said he was even told by the council to stop using the garage as the kids were using it as a base.

In a last chance crackdown, police this week issued eviction notices to 13 families in the area - warning they would be kicked out if they didn't pick up their act.

But one woman who received a notice for her nine-year-old nephew claimed it was "unfair".

The aunt claimed the schoolboy had been involved in damaging a woman's fence and even throwing stones at a property - but she had already spoken to police and grounded him.

She said: "They are painting all the kids with the same brush.

"Them saying I'm failing to keep control upsets me. I don't understand that bit.

"I totally understand how other residents are upset but I think it's unfair for my nephew to get the letter.

"The police have just done it to make it look like they're doing something rather than actually taking proper action."

But others said they welcomed the police action - already at their wit's end.

Kerry O'Brien, 43, added: "I have seen wheelie bins set on fire, there's graffiti on the walls.

"It's just horrible because it used to be a lovely area.

"I've lived here 30 years and you can just see it going downhill.

"I hope the parents take more responsibility for their kids. It could be a shock to the system if they think they could lose their homes if their kids don't behave."

'IGNORED WARNINGS'

Neighbourhood Sergeant Ashley Palmer said they had received a "number of complaints" from locals in the area about kids as young as nine involved in criminal damage.

Sgt Palmer said: "For a number of weeks we have worked with partners, and the local community, to try and come up with a solution that improves people’s lives.

"But a number of those warnings have been ignored and a number of these families are in the last chance saloon.

"If these children don’t start to change their ways then we will be left with no option but to move them out of the area to prevent further disorder from taking place.

"This activity is just the start of our enforcement."

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Cllr Clare Penny-Evans, Newcastle City Council cabinet member for Communities and Climate Change, and chair of the Safe Newcastle board, backed the action.

She said: “The activity carried out this morning shows that we will not abandon those residents whose lives are blighted by the inconsiderate, frightening and often dangerous anti-social behaviour of a small number of people in the community.

“We will take action when necessary and if the trend of this kind of behaviour continues to escalate as it has in recent months we will not hold back from removing those who are causing the problem."

It comes amid a rise in violent crime across Britain.

Shocking figures released earlier this year revealed that UK's murder rate is at its highest level in a decade with two people being killed every day.

And Britain has seen a rise in knife crime across the country too, with the number of offences involving teens increasing since 2013.
Robbery offences are up by 11 per cent, while violent attacks were up by almost a fifth.

Boris Johnson has vowed to hire 20,000 more police officers and rip up sentencing rules to ensure the worst criminals get “life” terms.
Home Secretary Priti Patel also announced plans to hand Tasers to 10,000 more cops.

Anyone who wants to report anti-social behaviour can call 101 or reporting it online at the Northumbria Police website.


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