INSIDE THE ‘NO GO’ ZONE!
Drugs, gangs, homelessness, fly-tipping and stabbings –
IT’S a scorching day and Clifton Street in Adamsdown, Cardiff, is bustling with people. Some pop in and out of the numerous shops and takeaways, while others stop to stand or sit outside, the sound of their chatter and laughter carrying down the road.
But there is another sight along the road that isn’t quite so inviting. Groups of young men in hoodies circle the area on bicycles, and piles of their bikes clog up some of the side street corners.
According to some residents, this is a familiar sight. Many have dubbed Adamsdown a “no-go zone” rife with drugs, gangs, homelessness, fly-tipping and even stabbings. They point the finger at Clifton Street as the epicentre of all the trouble, claiming that they’ve witnessed drug-dealing and gang behaviour taking place there both in broad daylight and at night.
In July, a community meeting was called to take action against crime and anti-social behaviour in the area. It was attended by about 40 people – including residents, shopkeepers, Cardiff Council, Adamsdown councillors and the police.
On the issues of homelessness and litter, Cardiff Council told Wales on Sunday it cleans the streets of Adamsdown every day and that it has a dedicated team to support rough sleepers. In terms of criminal behaviour in the area, South Wales Police said it is working with local Councillors, Cardiff Council and other statutory bodies to take action against offenders.
We spent an afternoon in the area to talk to those who are campaigning for change. But not all residents take such a dim view of the area, with many arguing that it is friendly and no more unsafe than other parts of the city.
The resident who called the community meeting has lived on Clifton Street for 15 years. Like most of the concerned residents we spoke to, she wanted to remain anonymous out of fear she’d be targeted by gangs for speaking out.
“I’m embarrassed to say I live here. Clifton Street is so intimidating, especially in the evening. If you want to go up there around seven or eight o’clock, it’s just gangs on the corner and people looking at you. It’s awful. You won’t see little old ladies doing their groceries like they used to,” she said.
Being a grandmother, the 61-year-old is particularly concerned about children growing up in the area, and admits she would never let her own granddaughter go to Clifton Street alone.
“You don’t know who’s around,” she said. “Kids go to school in the mornings and walk up Clifton Street with their mums and dad. What they see going on, they’re going to think that’s normal behaviour – and it’s not.”
According to the resident, the whole region is plagued by criminal and anti-social behaviour.
“The drug-dealing happening around Adamsdown School is outrageous, in the parks and at the bus-stops. It goes on until two in the morning – screaming and shouting and arguing,” she said.
She also felt Cardiff Council uses Adamsdown as a “dumping ground” for homeless people this year, who are especially vulnerable to drug dealers.
“They’ve moved them into Newport Road, just around the corner from Clifton Street, they’ve moved them near our parks – so the drug dealers are having a field day, they’re just meeting all these homeless people,” she said.
Her friend, who lives just off Clifton Street, claimed there is a homeless man living underneath her kitchen window. She has tried multiple times to have him removed – but to no avail.
“I’ve put him in two taxis out of my own money, but he just bounces back,” she said. “I was going to give him the keys to my shed, even, but he told me he gets nothing if he’s off the road.”
Cardiff Council has urged residents to report information relating to the exploitation of homeless people to South Wales Police, as it is a criminal matter. It assured that it has a dedicated Outreach Team that offers help, support and guidance to rough sleepers. It also said that each of its sites in Adamsdown providing help to homeless people
“I’ve never felt unsafe - I find it quite a friendly place. Also, I think it has great character
ADAM JOHANNES,
has now been reviewed, with additional safety and security measures installed.
Though Adam Johannes also lives on Clifton Street, his view couldn’t be more different. He has lived in six different areas in Cardiff, but he says the vibrant road, where he moved in 2017, is his favourite.
While he admits he sees lots of people hanging around outside shops and bikes left in the street, such behaviour doesn’t bother him.
“I hear people talking about Clifton Street as a no-gone zone or a lawless area. I’m not a very tough guy, but I’ve walked down there everyday and I’ve never had any problems,” said the 41-year-old.
“Before the pandemic, I was often coming down from town at 11 o’clock at night. I’ve never felt unsafe – I find it quite a friendly place. Also, I think it has great character – there are lots of businesses. I don’t think on most other streets you get these small shops where it’s very multicultural.”
He added: “For me one of the things that makes Clifton Street such a magical place to live and visit is you have people from so many different backgrounds in one small street.
“In less than five minutes walk you can walk past cafes, restaurants, shops and other businesses run by people of Kurdish, Eritrean, Arab, Polish, Turkish, Chinese, Portuguese, South Asian, Brazilian, Venezuelan and other backgrounds.
“With few chains and lots of
small independent businesses – from food outlets to barbers to tailors serving diverse communities – it gives the street a real sense of energy and life.”
Kathy, another resident who lives nearby to Clifton Street and regularly walks down it, echoed Adam’s view.
“I’ve never seen people openly dealing drugs on Clifton Street – maybe I’ve just been there at the wrong time,” said the 56-year-old.
She added: “I feel perfectly fine walking down Clifton Street, day or night. Yes, you know, it does have its share of antisocial behaviour, as all areas do. I don’t think it’s any worse than anywhere else – it just feels like it’s been singled out.
“I personally feel it’s an element of people being demonised and people blowing stuff out of things out of proportion. I think to say it’s a no-go area is completely over the top.”
When we spoke to a family who lives next to the park, our interview was interrupted twice – once by a family member who stopped to accuse a group of young men for allegedly drug-dealing and later by someone who drove a motorbike directly through the park.
One member of the family claims she witnesses dealing in the park every single day and has seen dealers pull up in cars. She has also witnessed violence and youths drive vehicles over the field. With children playing there, she believes it is a “tragedy waiting to happen” and that police need to be regularly patrolling the area.
Her fear is not unwarranted, as she claims she has already had knives thrown over her back garden a few times. She also says the area is “overrun with huge rats” due to people dumping their rubbish in the park, including smashed glass.
Cardiff Council told Wales on Sunday that Anderson Fields is cleansed each morning, three times a week. It also added that a “deep cleanse” of Adamsdown will also take place in November.
Adamsdown Councillor Owen Jones, who chaired the meeting in July, said: “I would never say Adamsdown or Clifton Street is a no-go area, but some of the concerns raised by residents in the meeting are very valid. There is concern around the amount of crime and anti-social behaviour here. It’s often felt by lots of residents that Adamsdown is often being quite neglected by the police and the council. I completely sympathise and there’s plenty of evidence to show that.”
On behalf of South Wales Police, Deputy local policing inspector, Ben Gwyer, said: “Officers working In the Roath and Cathays sector are aware of the concerns of the residents of Adamsdown.
“The Local Policing Inspector and a member of the neighbourhood team recently attended a meeting at the request of local residents and Councillors. We are working with local Councillors, Cardiff Council and other statutory bodies and support agencies to identify, disrupt and take robust enforcement action against offenders.
“Too often we are seeing ASB incidents appear on social media that have not been reported to us. We can only investigate and take action to identify the perpetrators if we are made aware of the incident. The best way to ensure that is for members of the public to report any incidents to us in the first instance. This will give us the best opportunity to take action against those causing and committing ASB offences. We urge members of the community to report any incident of ASB that they witness as that information will help us to investigate the cause of the issue and minimise the risk of it happening again.”
Currently the vast majority of nonemergency reports come into South Wales Police via the 101 telephone line but now people can report nonemergency crimes and incidents online in an accessible and convenient way by one of the following means: Go to: https://bit.ly/SWPReportOnline Send a private message on Facebook/Twitter Via email: SWP101@south-wales.police.uk
Alternatively you can make contact anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 to passing of information.