The estate where gangs of youths run riot and rip heads off pigeons | UK News

A housing estate in Staffordshire is so rough that gang members as young as 10 are said to tear pigeons apart.

Blakenall Heath – which has been compared to war-torn Ukraine – has been thrust back into the spotlight after a YouTuber paid a visit recently.

Boarded up doors and windows, heaps of rubbish and shattered glass litter the streets of the heath.

Gangs run rampant through the estate, as even 10-year-old children reportedly wield knives.

Even police are terrified to come near the heath, after their vehicles were damaged by gangs throwing bricks.

Despite the dangers, YouTube channel UK Explored ventured out to the estate on the outskirts of Birmingham to see if the rumours were true.

The crime rate inside the estate is double that of the surrounding areas, as the YouTubers were greeted by one resident telling them to promptly ‘f*** off’.

The host explained: ‘There are 400 crimes reported each month in Blakenall alone. Most of which are violent offences and antisocial behaviour.

‘There are stories of people being shot at, and children tearing up pigeons and throwing them into the chippy. 

‘And a young kid was blinded after being stabbed.’

One local resident said: ‘It had got to the point where we are scared to leave our homes even in the daytime.

‘The place has just rapidly declined into almost a state of lawlessness since the pandemic.’

A 48-hour dispersal was put in place after violence from youth gangs and criminals flared up around a week ago.

West Midlands Police said at the time: ‘We’ve had several police cars damaged after bricks were thrown and members of the public have also reported damage to their vehicles. 

‘This behaviour is completely unacceptable, the people involved are causing issues in the local community and we are determined to stop this happening.’

The YouTuber added: ‘Blakenall is certainly one of the most dangerous estates in the country. It felt dangerous, it smelt dangerous and I was happy to move on.’

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