Despairing residents have told how their town centre has turned into a crime hotspot leaving people there feeling unsafe at night.
Locals in West Bromwich opened up on how making their way along its high street on mobile scooters leaves them vulnerable to attackers plaguing the place.
Crime concerns have been raised over the central part of the town, which is close to Birmingham in the heart of the West Midlands – between West Bromwich’s High Street and Carter’s Green just west of the main shopping quarter.
Among those describing problems about the location is Sean Chang, a former construction site worker who is in a wheelchair after suffering health problems.
He suspected his attacker came not from West Bromwich itself, but one of the town’s surrounding areas such as Wednesbury three miles away in the Black Country.
Mr Chang, 51, revealed how a man he suspected of being a drug user had tried ‘mugging’ him despite riding on a mobility scooter.
The victim said: ‘I can handle myself. Someone tried to mug me. They ran up here and caught up with their mate.
‘They weren’t from around here, I think they were from Wednesbury. I was on my mobility scooter, I chased after them. The police were called and that got sorted out.’
Locals have raised complaints about crime and anti-social behaviour in West Bromwich
Among those describing problems about the location is Sean Chang, a former construction site worker who is in a wheelchair after suffering health problems
Crime concerns have been raised over the central part of the town, which is close to Birmingham in the heart of the West Midlands
Footage revealed last December how gangs of yobs chased each other armed with machetes as violence erupted near Sandwell College in West Bromwich
Mr Chang claimed the culprit was on a drug known as ‘mamba’, adding: ‘They don’t care once they are on that stuff.’
He also expressed other concerns about how West Bromwich’s town centre was being ravaged with problems, saying: ‘There are a lot of drunks.’
He told BlackCountryLive: ‘I know there are a lot of cleaners but we are still getting lots of rubbish. There are a lot of rats by the underpass.’
Meanwhile, a woman from Tipton more than three and a half miles away, also expressed complaints after travelling to West Bromwich for local council registrar office services.
She said: ‘I always used to come up here, but I wouldn’t do it on my own anymore.’
Pointing left and right, she told reporters: ‘I wouldn’t go up that bit or that bit.
‘I wouldn’t want my daughter coming up here on her own.’
BlackCountryLive reported there were 19 takeaway food shops and eight barbershops within a half-mile zone.
Wheelchair user Sean Chang voiced concerns about West Bromwich (pictured) and its town centre, saying: ‘There are a lot of drunks’
Claims have been made about crime and anti-social behaviour issues amid West Bromwich’s High Street and Carter’s Green just west of the town’s main shopping quarter
When asked about the spread of such stores, a 54-year-old woman from Oldbury in the West Midlands told BlackCountryLive: ‘I don’t know how they stay in business.
‘They all seem to be empty. I’m trying not to be suspicious. I don’t know how the council grants them licences when there are several in the street.’
West Midlands Police and Sandwell Council were approached for comment.
Footage revealed last December how gangs of yobs chased each other armed with machetes as violence erupted near Sandwell College in West Bromwich.
At one point, a young man appears to lunge towards another with a knife, narrowly missing him as stunned motorists are forced to a halt.
A single college security guard can be seen running into shot as groups of people swarm the area near the King’s Square shopping centre.
Horrified social media users voiced their concern over the footage, with one saying on Facebook: ‘Why does this generation of kids think playing with their lives is a game?’
Another added: ‘The truth is people need to stop standing by watching and do something to help.’
West Bromwich (pictured) is just over five miles away from England’s second city Birmingham
West Midlands Police has posted on the force’s website a response to concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour in West Bromwich, saying one ‘main offender’ had been recently arrested and recalled to prison.
The force said: ‘Over the past few weeks the team has continued to focus on this priority.
‘The team continue to work with local BID [Business Improvement District] ambassadors and local EPOs [estate patrol officers] from Sandwell Council to target reports of ASB and street drinking.’
Latest crime figures from the force say there were 717 crimes recorded in West Bromwich in December 2024, compared to 812 in January last year and having hit a year-high of 935 last June.
