A neighbourhood where a shopkeeper says getting grabbed by the collar by a shoplifter running into his shop is a common occurrence, has been branded one of the most dangerous in the UK.
Delivery drivers are even wary when entering parts of the estate at Willow Tree Lane in Yeading, an area of West London, and often ‘run away’ from ‘drunks and druggies’.
Shopkeeper Patel Herdik said: "It's very difficult.
"There’s drug use and crime here as well. Two or three times I’ve had a very bad experience."
Patel, who moved to the area three years ago, added: “From the bet shop you get all the druggies and some guys have come in here and wanted to take things from the shop.
"Once one grabbed me by the collar, and one or two times I’ve had to run away. Others have not found the item they wanted.”
Another man entering one of a few nearby tower blocks tried to explain the scale of the area's "dangerous reputation".
He said: "It’s a rough area, man. There are a lot of drug addicts, it’s very big for drug addicts.
"You see them all over the place. My neighbours got broken into a few months ago and took all their stuff. There’s also kids with knives.”
A 67-year-old woman, who still works at Sainsbury’s part-time, also told My London: "I don’t go out the house much but I know crime’s bad.
"We get police down the road perhaps once or twice a week. I live next to a park and there’s always bikes left abandoned. People steal the bikes, take off the stuff and leave the frame.”
She went on to say that during her 20 year stay in the area, things have got “worse”.
She added: “I live in a little cul-de-sac and neighbours look out for each other. Neighbours have had cars broken into a lot as well.”
Asked if she was wary when walking outside, she said: “Oh, God yeah. I never go out in the dark; I used to. My daughter’s car got broken into a couple of months ago.
"It’s younger kids, perhaps teenagers, she keeps change in a little compartment and they took that. It was petty. You also get people going around cars lifting handles.”
Amar Bhatti, 51, a taxi driver who is waiting for his latest paperwork to come through before he can start taking locals to where they need to go, has lived in Yeading for more than 15 years.
He said: “One time I was going to the shop and someone had broken the window of a car outside the laundrette. There was a guy, he was there in daylight, it was criminal damage. That was two weeks ago.”
Mustafa Baye, 31, the owner of the local laundrette, said: “There are too many people drinking, and at school time kids come across the road and they’re drunk. There’s a few boys making problems for everybody.”
But Mr Bhatti said the area does have things going for it despite some concerning incidents.
He added: “But it’s not too bad - I’ve seen bad areas before. It’s good, I like it. It’s very close to the motorway, the A40, the M49, the M4, Heathrow, and very near local shops. There’s a Tesco and we have three Lidls - one on the Whitehouse roundabout, one on Uxbridge Road and one in Hayes Town.
"There’s also the Northern, Central line and bus routes. But sometimes I do see police coming, a lot on Hornbeam Road. I think there is some trouble, I’ve seen them twice since we came here.”
Another man, who did not wish to be named as he worked at a local school.
For me it’s alright. I’ve lived here for years, it’s fine," he said
Arunja Kulaseelan, 23, an economy and finance student at the University of East London, added: “I would say it’s safer than other places. Like Ealing, I worked in an off licence there and so many people, mostly alcoholic people, behave in a bad way. They don’t respect people. I’ve never experienced anything in this area.”
Ros Roland, who is in her 60s, who works part-time as a registrar of births, deaths and marriages, said: “I’ve been a resident here all my life and things have deteriorated, but there are still lots of good people that recommend it. Lots of places have trouble, I don’t think it’s just Yeading.
"There’s the local church for example that does food banks and things - good things for local people. There are still lots of very decent people here. I also live next to a nice open space and wildlife.
"You often get approached by beggars asking for money but you don’t have to, you can walk past. The experience here is more good than bad.”
