IT was only last summer that Plymouth was named ‘the best place to live in England’.
But locals say the historic maritime city is now plagued by mobs of destructive kids as young as 11, shoplifters, and drug users openly dealing on the streets and “shooting up” in shops.
Business owners have complained about a rise in people stealing and abuse towards staff, windows being smashed, and young gangs trying to break into buildings through skylights.
On the morning The Sun visited we were met by boarded-up shopfronts and walls of graffiti, groups of arguing youths and drunks zig-zagging up the street clutching cans of booze.
Pete Monsgrove, 53, is Plymouth-born and bred and said crime has noticeably increased in the past few years.
“The way things are going are bad,” he told us. “I saw a guy, someone I recognised, and he was carrying a machete round town.
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“I was like, ‘What are you doing?’ and he said, ‘It’s for my protection’.
“This not a huge city with major crime, it’s just a small town, but it has its problems. There are a lot of homeless people now.
“The council are investing millions on one end of town and nothing at the other end. Look around you – it’s a ghost town.”
He added that the opening of Drake Circus, a large glass-fronted shopping centre completed in 2006, has had a knock-on effect on the high street.
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“This used to a be thriving town, but since they built that hideous mall, the town is dead.
“It’s full of charity shops, the businesses left are struggling.”
Statistics from 2022 show Plymouth is now the most dangerous city in Devon, putting the crime rate at 64 per 1,000 people – 40 per cent higher than the county’s average.
On an evening in January a gang of up to 60 youths rampaged through the town terrorising businesses, smashing windows, climbing onto rooftops and hurling things down into the street.
Three police cars were reportedly smashed up and the police later made more than 10 arrests.
It prompted businesses to call for action. At a recent meeting between police, the city council, Plymouth Against Retail Crime (Parc) and Crimestoppers UK, the chief executive of Plymouth City Centre Company, Steve Hughes, declared: “We can’t tolerate this any more.”
“They were throwing things, being abusive and running into shops,” Steve told The Sun.
“We’ve got a lot of low rooftops in Plymouth and they were throwing things down into the street. When the police were called, they had no respect for the law. Some of these kids were only 11.”
When the police were called, they had no respect for the law. Some of these kids were only 11
Steve Hughes, CEO, Plymouth City Centre Company
He added: “All city centres have crime, but it’s escalated here. The cost-of-living crisis means there are more homeless people living on the streets.
“We’ve got people with mental health issues, people with drug addiction and alcohol problems. Shoplifting is at an all-time high.
“On top of that, in the last year or so, we have an awful lot of antisocial behaviour from very young people. We are lucky in that we are a resilient community.”
Brazen drug deals
Businesswoman Lesley Park, 63, who owns a string of franchises of the pasty store Oggy Oggy, told The Sun: “I’ve had people outside the shop causing a disturbance, fighting outside the shop, arguments over drugs.
“I see drug deals openly taking place on the street outside and it’s a huge problem.
“The back area of our shop has been smashed into and we had someone break in by climbing through the toilet window to try and get cash, so we’ve had to install reinforced shutters.
The back area of our shop has been smashed into and we had someone break in by climbing through the toilet window to try and get cash, so we’ve had to install reinforced shutters
Businesswoman Lesley Park
“At our Cornwall Street shop we’ve had a woman on the roof who was probably up there to take drugs.
“If there was a police presence in the city centre, we could call them when something happens.
“Five or six years ago things weren’t this bad because there were more police.”
Pete said a big issue is a lack of amenities for young people, which pushes them towards anti-social behaviour and crime.
“There’s nowhere for them to go,” he says. “There’s a lot of shoplifting and yes, we’ve got crime, but there’s nothing for the youngsters to do any more.
“I used to be a shoplifter when I was younger and turned to cannabis and amphetamines, but then I changed it around and got a job.”
Drunks intimidate mums
Caroline Sardu, 62, owner of baby clothing and accessories shop Baby Roo, said she regularly contacts PARC officers about shoplifting, but customers are also intimidated by drunks.
She told The Sun: “We do get antisocial behaviour outside, which is predominantly the drunks who get a little bit worse for wear and then put themselves on the floor there, or go up and down shouting.
“Obviously if you’re a mum of young baby, that could be scary.”
Homelessness rife
One woman who’s experienced the violence on the streets first hand is Sophie Marie, 26.
She has been homeless on and off for the past couple of years, but has been temporarily housed in one of the Plymouth’s city centre hotels.
Sophie, who was glassed and hospitalised by a homeless woman, told The Sun: “I became homeless due to domestic abuse.
“I’ve spent nights living on the streets, it’s full of homeless people and drug addicts and crime in the city has got worse.
“I’ve seen shoplifting and robberies, old men being mugged. I even had my sister’s ashes in a necklace and a homeless woman stole it and then bottled me.
“I’m in the hotel at the moment so I’m lucky. Hopefully I’ll get a one-bedroom flat one day.
“I think Plymouth needs more security so the streets are safer. The police are doing their best, but there needs to be more security.”
I’ve seen shoplifting and robberies, old men being mugged. I even had my sister’s ashes in a necklace and a homeless woman stole it and then bottled me
Sophie Marie
The homeless issue was apparent when The Sun visited; many have set up camp in the multi-storey car park, with makeshift beds and blankets for walls.
Local shop worker Claire Wotton, 55, said: “Tents have popped up in various areas which you never used to see before.
“It’s incredibly sad because people come from various backgrounds and while people moan about it, it’s not their fault.
“I think there’s a big drug problem in Plymouth, which might be the same for all major cities. It’s heart-breaking.
“The overall look of the city is quite depressing; there’s graffiti and we have a litter problem so need more bins.
“It just doesn’t look very inviting. If I didn’t work here, I wouldn’t come into the city centre at all.”
Tackling crime
Store staff are helped in their battle against crime by two Plymouth Against Retail Crime (PARC) officers who patrol the streets daily with radios.
Officer Rob Fannon, 29, explained shops can radio them directly if there are any issues.
He said: “We deal with everything from medical emergencies to shop-lifting and street drinking, and work closely with the police.
“There’s been a real rise in shoplifting. Staff will pass CCTV to us and if they’re known we can try to deal with it. If not, we try to track them down.
“If the theft is worth over £200, we pass it to the police. If it’s less we generally don’t because it’s happening so much every day.”
Mark Hazeldon, 42, lives in Barnstaple, although he used to live in Plymouth and admitted he’d like to return – but not any day soon.
He said: “I notice a lot of people on drugs and a lot of homeless and drunks.
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“There are sleeping bags and blankets in shop doorways everywhere you turn, because they’ve obviously got nowhere to go.
“It’s a lovely area and the town’s nice. It’s just certain areas are worse than others. I’d like to move back here one day.”
‘There is no excuse for this behaviour’
Inspector Dom Nicholls of Devon Police said: “Over the weekend of 20/21 January, we received reports of anti-social behaviour in Plymouth where a group of teenagers had reportedly thrown a bike from the first floor of a car park and stolen a radio from Drake Circus security team and thrown stones and eggs at buildings and cars.
“We attended and issued dispersal orders and in some cases took the children home. Six people aged between 13 and 17 have been arrested and spoken to by police. Enquiries remain ongoing into those incidents.
“We have issued a number of dispersal orders and will continue to conduct extra patrols in the city centre. There is no excuse for this behaviour and although we don’t issue dispersal orders often, we are not afraid to use them in an attempt to clamp down on anti-social behaviour.
“Officers have also spoken to parents, who are working with us to find solutions. This does appear to have been an isolated weekend of incidents of this nature and we will continue to work with partner agencies and the community to reduce the incidents and ensure that Plymouth city centre remains a safe place for people to enjoy.”
Sgt Tom Crabb, Neighbourhood Team Leader for Plymouth City Centre said: “Areas of the city centre including New George Street and Royal Parade are priority areas for our additional patrols, and the community may see more officers in those areas as we try to reduce anti-social behaviours and other incidents and demands across Plymouth.
“We will be working closely with the Plymouth City Centre Company to set up a forum with businesses in the city centre to better understand their needs and concerns.”
A Plymouth City Council spokesman said: “Like most local authorities in the UK, our homelessness and rough sleeping teams are experiencing an unprecedented increase in demand for services.
“The cost of living crisis and increased private sector rent costs, along with the legacy effects of the pandemic like business and job loss, are all factors that have led more and more people to seek our help.
“Simply speaking, just providing housing isn’t the only part of the solution to reducing and ending rough sleeping.
“That is why we commissioned the Plymouth Alliance, a city-wide partnership dedicated to helping people with homelessness support and accommodation as well as drug and alcohol and mental health support, to help sensitively tackle the issue and the complex needs that surround it.
“The Alliance provides around 511 bed spaces for people who are homeless, including rough sleepers with partners who work closely together to develop tailored housing solutions for rough sleepers in the city.
“As always, residents who are concerned about someone who is rough sleeping can report it to us via StreetLink.”
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Alison Maloney
