Don’t go out after dark & beware of gangs wielding SWORDS: Life in ‘hellhole’ where violence lurks around every corner

ONCE the domain of English kings, one town is now best known for XL Bully attacks and sword-wielding gangs.

Since Christmas, Rowley Regis in the West Midlands has witnessed a shooting and three separate machete attacks.

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Residents feel like their Sandwell town is fast becoming more dangerous and some say they now wouldn’t go out after dark.

But, police say the town’s safety is improving, with significant reductions in burglary.

One resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, said she recently saw an armed robbery of a “cannabis farm” near her suburban home.

The 37-year-old neighbour said: “We had no idea we were living next to a cannabis factory. We knew someone had bought it and saw a few people come and go but nothing out of the ordinary.

“Then one evening about 7.30pm we heard a bang outside. It turned out to be a gunshot. We looked out and there were two cars ramming into one another. One then went and six men got out of the other car with masks on and carrying machetes. 

“It was horrible. We have children and we just want to get out and move. You have cars speeding up and down this road and people staring into your windows. One of our neighbours has been burgled twice.” 

In March, police seized 800 cannabis plants and thousands of pounds of growing equipment when they raided an industrial building.

Photos released by West Midlands Police showed rows of plants protected by plastic and bathed in yellow light.

Rowley Regis was once part of the Royal hunting grounds, with the ‘Regis’ section being added by King Stephen in 1140.

The West Midlands is the fourth most dangerous place to live in Britain.

One video showed a robbery where hooded men entered a bar and forced staff to open the till and pokie machines.

In January, One Stop Shop worker Zakk De Wolfe, 20, gave first aid to a man with blood pouring from a machete wound.

He said the man had come in with a gash in his arm after he had been robbed and “got hit with a machete”.

“He wasn’t from the area but told us he’d come down to sell some expensive coat to someone. It sounded like a Vinted kind of thing.

His shift leader Trinity Elliott, 20, said it was one of three recent attacks featuring machetes in an area and they constantly dealt with shoplifters.

“We had a Romanian man outside here getting beaten up by three teenagers.

“They were about 14 or 15 and they were hitting him for his phone. One of them had a machete in his back pocket. He was bleeding. 

“People like to perceive this as a normal area but it’s not, it’s getting worse than Dudley now.

“Some people in other areas of Rowley might think it’s a good place to live but on these sides it’s a pretty dangerous area.”

Across town, on Highfield Road, sits a car with a smashed rear window from a bullet.

A 58-year-old woman who lived nearby and who did not want to be named said: “That’s my husband’s car. We were all in watching TV when we heard a bang. I looked out and could not see anything.

“Then this white car went speeding up the road and the police were all there saying there had been reports of gunshots.

“That’s when I noticed my husband’s car had its back window missing. The police found the bullet on the back seat. It had just got caught in the firing line.

“Rowley has gone downhill. A few months ago we had a man running up the road with a sword in his hand and you can smell cannabis in every other house. 

“The problems are mainly drug related and it’s got a lot worse in the six years we’ve been here. We wouldn’t go out after dark now. My husband was mugged six months ago – he had a chain stolen by men with masks on.”

None of this surprises local councillor Laured Kalani who represents Rowley Regis on the local Sandwell borough council.

The 29-year-old said: “Having been brought up in Rowley it is really sad that it has become such a violent town.

“We have wonderful, brave police but the truth is they are constantly understaffed and down on resources.

“I have had occasion to ring them and be told there are only five of them covering the whole of Sandwell which has 328,774 people. There should be 14. 

“The police need more backing in every way because the problems are piling up and no-one thinks their lives are getting better.

“Ninety-nine per cent of people round here are great but there are real issues with drugs. There are young men my age with no job prospects and no incentive to stay within the law. 

“They get caught dealing, they go to prison for a few years getting their free rent and free food and then they come out with no support system and it all starts again.”

Rowley has also seen its share of animal violence which has left residents fearing to go out at night.

In 2021, 85-year-old Lucille Downer was killed in her back garden by two American Bulldogs.

Carly Dunn, 35, a nail technician walking her dog, said: “A dachshund was killed in a dog attack here last year. She was set upon by one of those Bullies and had a heart attack.

“I don’t think anything happened to the dog because no human was hurt. 

“There are a lot of drugs around here. You smell cannabis all the time from passing cars and people smoking it openly on park benches. 

“I think they are about to spend more money on this park bringing in a changing area for kids because football teams use it a lot and there’s rumours about a café.’

Another park user Carol Nock, 78, a retired home carer, said: “The park is not like it used to be. There used to be beautiful rose beds. It has deteriorated because they don’t spend the money on it nowadays.

“I don’t go out at night and I don’t really feel safe in the park anymore. I’m glad to see someone with a dog.”

Inspector Wes Smith, from Sandwell Police, said: “We’re working all year round to tackle crime and keep people in Rowley Regis safe; and we’ve seen real improvements since the force moved to a more local policing model last April.

“This has seen a fall in overall crime across Rowley Regis of almost seven per cent during the last 12 months, which includes significant reductions in burglary and vehicle crime.

“With response, neighbourhood and investigation teams now all working more locally we are able to respond to crimes and emerging trends quicker.

“We’re determined to keep tackling all crime – from drug dealing to anti-social behaviour – and we carry out regular patrols and targeted operations around the area to help do this. It’s important our communities alert us to any issues so we can respond.”

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