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Apr 2021

Crime

'I'm moving my family from Bilton due to anti-social behaviour'

Published: 13 Apr 2021, 16:22 BST

by Thomas Barrett

One family member says they plan to leave, having witnessed graffiti, arson and drug dealing. They say there are 'too many unsavoury characters and not enough police presence'.

The bridge was previously covered with graffiti.

A family has told the Stray Ferret that crime in Bilton has got so bad they are planning to move away from the area.

Last week we reported a growing fear of crime in the Harrogate suburb after a girl was assaulted.

Now one family member, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of having their property damaged, has said things have become so bad they want to leave.

The person said they had witnessed graffiti, arson and drug dealing and felt "at the mercy of luck" about being victims of crime themselves.

They added the area now has "too many unsavoury characters and not enough police presence":

"The church is a hangout for drinkers and older kids day and night. I’ve watched many acts of vandalism such as graffiti, bottles being smashed, things set on fire and gates kicked in. When I’ve been able to reach the police nobody ever comes despite the offenders hanging around here for hours.

"Drug dealing occurs regularly outside the shops, my neighbours car was stolen, my neighbour was also mugged in the alley by the Co-op so I never let my kids walk that way now.

"Every morning I check my car to see if it has fallen victim to having the tyres slashed or paint thrown over it as many residents have had. Now there are reports of potential dog snatching so we have had to stop letting ours go in our yard unattended."

They also said efforts to create a neighbourhood watch group had failed:

"At times it has been really stressful living here and we feel we are purely at the mercy of luck. A neighbourhood watch was set up two years ago but only a handful of us went to the meeting and I’ve heard nothing since.

"We plan to leave before summer, which is the worst time for us with drunk kids hanging outside in groups all night."

Bilton residents frightened to leave homes due to anti-social behaviour

Girl assaulted by teenagers in Bilton

In a statement, North Yorkshire Police said:

“Over the past 100 days, antisocial behaviour in the Bilton area has accounted for around five percent of all antisocial behaviour reported across the Harrogate district. The majority of these reports are potential breaches of covid regulations.

“Any amount of antisocial behaviour ruins the quality of life for local people and can escalate. So it is vitally important that members of the public report incidents to us, so that we aware of them and can take action.

“The area has its own beat manager and local police community support officers who carry out regular patrols of the area and also work closely with the local Safer Harrogate community safety partnership.

“We urge members of the public to report incidents to us on 101 or 999 in an emergency. You can also report incidents online at Report it - North Yorkshire Police | North Yorkshire Police”

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'I'm moving my family from Bilton due to anti-social behaviour'

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