Standing behind the counter of the corner shop he's owned since 1990, Kaleem Ahmed remembers what Beswick was like, before the Commonwealth Games changed this corner of east Manchester forever. "When I first bought this shop the News of the World did a story about 'The worst street in Britain'," he says.
"It was about a five-minute walk away and, you know what, they had it spot on. This was a crime-ridden, forgotten part of Manchester.
"The old Grey Mare Lane police station was next door, but they paid that no regard at all. Being a shopkeeper here was a case of 'See no evil, hear no evil'. That was the only way to survive."
