Residents in a small town say they fear for their safety, branding it a “no-go area” after dark due to rising crime levels. Locals say they have witnessed teenagers harassing the elderly, making it intimidating for them to even wait at the bus station or visit the town during weekday evenings and weekends.
Troubling incidents, such as people throwing objects at shoppers and market traders, bricks being hurled at shop windows, and youths carrying knives, are increasingly common in Blackwood in Caerphilly county, which is around 50 minutes from Bristol.
An alarming case recently came to light where a teenager was reportedly chased by another with a knife, eventually seeking refuge in a family friend’s home. As a result, Blackwood town council convened on Tuesday evening to address these severe public disturbances. However, a group of teenagers in fact entered that meeting, disrupting it and remaining inside the town council building, causing mayhem until the police arrived and dispersed the troublemakers.
Fear of retaliation has led many individuals interviewed for this piece to remain anonymous. One trader said: “I value my windows too much”. This caution seems justified, given a recent incident where a brick was hurled through the window of a well-established furniture shop.
Gwent Police have responded to the escalating situation in Blackwood town centre by launching a multi-agency operation. Several arrests have been made in recent days on charges related to public order offences.
Deputy Mayor George Etheridge painted a grim picture of the current state of affairs, stating: “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 is facing tough times as it attempts to manage a £47m shortfall, proposing significant cuts that might eliminate safety wardens from Blackwood. Cllr Etheridge disclosed: “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.
“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.”
Despite Gwent Police implementing various dispersal orders, concerns have arisen about their effectiveness. The latest order started on January 16 and spanned over two days.
Cllr Etheridge remarked: “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.
“Knife crime appears to be on the rise, with social media reports and complaints to councillors supporting this claim. Innocent younger children are being targeted by groups of older teenagers intent on causing harm. Businesses are having to shut their doors early due to safety concerns and fear for their staff. As much as these youngsters are a nuisance, it’s hard to ignore that these teenagers have very little. In our time, there were various clubs available, but now there seems to be nothing for them.”
Cllr Kevin Etheridge last week expressed his concern over the issue, deciding to take it up with the chief constable and the police and crime commissioner. They met with councillors on Thursday to discuss potential solutions.
He stated: “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. It’s quite sad that it took my letter to prompt their intervention. This problem has escalated significantly in the last six weeks. People are now telling me they avoid Blackwood in the evenings and late afternoons, labelling it a no-go area. This is devastating for our local businesses. We have been encouraged by what we heard in the meeting and now it’s time for action, not just words.”
Cllr Andrew Short, who doubles as a mechanic and antiques dealer and operates from a garage opposite the bus station, has revealed how he’s had to accompany people waiting for buses due to rising intimidation in the area. He voiced his concern saying: “It is worse at the bus station and around the bus station. Yesterday evening there must have been 40 police here. There are always plenty of police most nights. But it hasn’t changed much.”
He expressed shock at the current state of affairs: “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.”
The longstanding Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday market, a community staple for 70 years, has recently been subjected to troublesome behaviour, according to residents. Eyewitness accounts detail missiles being hurled over a neighbouring wall onto the market stalls during weekends.
A concerned trader, preferring to remain anonymous out of fear for his business, mentioned that the disturbances have deterred some patrons from visiting the market, leaving stallholders feeling under threat.
Ewan Thayer, an employee at the adjacent gym, weighed in on the issue: “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.”
The high street has seen the introduction of gates at both ends in a bid to curb night-time street racing, according to a local who has called the area home for over three decades and wished to stay unnamed. The resident remarked: “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 has labelled the recent spate of anti-social behaviour in Blackwood as “mindless” and “unacceptable”. He stated: “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.
“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