We are made to PAY to walk our own streets by terrifying armed gangs… we live in fear
TERRIFIED residents on a crime-ridden estate have revealed they are being ordered to hand over “taxes” by armed gangs ruling the streets.
Mobs of young men have been threatening violence unless people hand over cash on demand simply to walk around Palfrey in Walsall, it has been revealed.
Council chiefs have now ordered immediate action following the claims which come amid mounting concerns about attacks and intimidation across the West Midlands estate.
Three men were aged 28, 26 and 25 were allegedly stabbed in the area’s Palfrey Park on Monday last week, with three young men – aged 20, 18 and 17 – since being charged in connection.
The Palfrey estate – said to be the poorest in Walsall – has also been plagued by “drugs, prostitution and general crime”, according to reports.
One resident wanting to remain anonymous has now spoken out about the marauding gangs demanding “taxes”.
The local told BlackCountryLive: “In terms of ‘getting taxed’, with threats of weapons and aggression, they are asking for money and valuables.
“There are groups of young men doing this, targeting the same. Many of these threats go unreported due to fear.”
And a woman from the estate, in her twenties, said: “I have been born and bred in the area but it is only a matter of time until I move – it’s only getting worse. There are many concerns that go unheard.
“There are many incidents in the park and some patches of Palfrey where youths and gangs loiter and target individuals for money and valuables.
“Parents tell the children and females to avoid certain parts of the area, including parks and walkways, to avoid being targeted.”
Ahmed Muaaz, a 19-year-old originally from Palfrey, is relieved to now be studying economics and politics in Southampton instead.
He remembered: “Growing up, I was always told not to take certain roots and avoid parks as there’s loitering of groups, off-road-bikers, people smoking weird smelly cigarettes and doing balloons, and so on.
“Growing up, I was always told not to take certain roots and avoid parks as there’s loitering of groups, off-road-bikers, people smoking weird smelly cigarettes and doing balloons, and so on.”
Concerns about rampant crime have been raised across Walsall, a 67,000-population town nine miles north-west of Birmingham.
Residents describing the town’s Blakenhall area as one of “Britain’s roughest estates” told of children there as young as ten running riot – even tearing apart pigeons.
And think-tank Onward last month identified Walsall as one of five neighbourhood crime hotspots in England and Wales – alongside Barry, Clacton, Oldham and South Tyneside.
Palfrey has also been compared to “the Wild West”, with residents telling of being “held to ransom” by yobs brazenly walking the streets waving around bats and machetes while addicts openly take drugs.
Walsall council leader Mike Bird has now vowed to set up a special task force targeting Palfrey – just over a mile from the town centre’s railway station – and the nearby estates of Caldmore and Pleck.
He insisted: “We are now looking at putting extra resources in those areas to tackle the issues.
“We also need the eyes and the ears of the local community to turn in the criminals who live in those areas and, in certain cases, are responsible for the anti-social behaviour.
“My plea to them is turn these crooks in, tell the police – you can ring Crimestoppers anonymously.”
He also promised to raise “immediately” with West Midlands Police the concerns about victims being “taxed”, adding: “That kind of behaviour is totally unacceptable”.