A Birmingham resident has spoken out about a year-long ordeal caused by a group of adults whom he describes as an “intimidating” gang, leaving him fearful for his safety and planning to leave his home.
The resident, who wished to remain anonymous, lives in Moreton Close, Quinton, and said the area has been plagued by disturbances that have escalated from weekend chaos to daily disruptions.
He explained that a group of over ten adults, mostly in their twenties and thirties, have caused a variety of problems including littering, drug use, loud noise, and intimidation.
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“This area never used to be like this,” he told BirminghamLive. “These people used to come every weekend until 4am, but now they’re out in the middle of the week. You can’t get your car off the drive and you’re blocked in, they won’t move.”
Recalling a particular incident, the resident said: “Once, they were leaning on a neighbour’s car and he complained. According to him, they came at him with knives and slashed his tyres.”
He described the group’s attitude as one of dominance, saying: “It feels like intimidation and they’re saying ‘we’re taking over and there’s nothing you can do about it’.”
The resident also mentioned the impact on daily life: “I’ve handed in my notice that I’m looking for somewhere else. The smell of marijuana would knock you over, I can’t put washing out because of it. They dump laughing gas canisters and bottles of alcohol; I can’t walk my dog in one direction because of what I’ve found.”
He added, “I’ve spotted knives and syringes on walks before. It’s intimidation of the highest order and they just don’t care. The only course of action is that I’m having to find somewhere else to live. I fear for my safety.”
A West Midlands Police spokesperson responded to the concerns: “We take reports of this kind very seriously, and we urge anyone who feels they may have been a victim of crime to report it to us. No-one should feel unsafe where they live and we have teams of Dedicated Neighbourhood Officers working closely within communities and acting on residents' concerns.”
The spokesperson also highlighted ongoing efforts: “We work with partners to tackle anti-social behaviour, and we regularly carry out targeted patrols aimed at specific issues. Crime can be reported via 101 or via Live Chat on our website, where residents can also find contact details for their local neighbourhood policing team.”