15 shocking photos of the Birmingham street dubbed ‘one of Britain’s most neglected’

Shocking photos show life on one of ‘Britain’s most neglected streets’ - which is plagued by criminals, giant potholes, fly-tipped rubbish and burnt-out cars.

Residents living near Crawford Street, in Saltley, Birmingham, say the road is more like a ‘Compton ghetto’ or a ‘scene from The Last of Us’. The notorious street is riddled with ‘crater-like’ potholes - leaving most it covered in mud - hundreds of items of rubbish and the charred remains of burned vehicles.

Locals say the road has been allowed to fall into a state of disrepair by Birmingham City Council to the point it now resembles a ‘Third World slum’. Community activists have branded the road as the worst in Birmingham, but neighbours believe it could be ‘Britain’s most neglected street’.

Photographs show the drastic state of the lane which is lined with mountains of household waste, wrecked shells of cars and 10ft wide water-filled potholes. On the side of one house is spray-painted the image of a knife with the words: “Kill a snake, enemies get shot up fool.”

Wahid Khan 33, lives on the next street along and says the road is a hotspot for fly-tipping, drug-taking and other criminal behaviour. The dad-of-one said: “Honestly, you would not believe this place. It reminds me of the post apocalyptic scenes from The Last of Us.

“There’s burnt out cars everywhere, litter as far as you can see - massive fly-tipped items constantly dumped, graffiti, the lot. It makes this city look exactly like the stereotype it has been trying so hard to shake. Yet here we are in modern Britain living next to a Third World slum.

“I saw it described as the most neglected street in the city, but I’d go one step further than that and say it’s the most neglected street anywhere in the country. All you have to do is walk down it and you’ll see why. It’s disgraceful really. The council have had years to act and it just gets repeatedly overlooked.”

Another local, who did not want to be named, said: “It’s more like a Compton LA ghetto around here now. The worst part is that next door they are working on the swanky new HS2 train line and road sweepers go along there but not here.

“The place is disgusting and I’m embarrassed to say its near my home. It’s a no go area at night. The police are nowhere to be seen either. People are openly doing drugs, drinking along the street - it’s become a magnet for fly-tipping. Crooks act like they are untouchable.”

The cracked and crumbling street is home to just one solitary house but a number of businesses are based along the 0.2 mile stretch. A nearby business owner, who would only give his name as Mr Hussain, 45, who runs an auto parts firm said: “The council have neglected the road so badly.

“It influences people to cause criminal activity such as fly tipping, take drugs and we’ve had five cars burnt out here in the last month alone. We get 18 tonne trucks here, it’s a busy road and yet nothing gets done.”

Another car parts business owner, who would only give his first name, Tahir, aged 40, added: “I’ve been here 25 years and its always been bad. I’ve seen people having sex inside cars, people doing balloons and the council has neglected this road completely. They used to have cameras around here but I guess it cost them too much money so the problems have only got worse.”

Complaints have been made to Birmingham City Council since 2018 about the streets conditions, but locals say nothing has changed so far. Community activist Gerry Moynihan, 50, said he first contacted the local authority five years ago about the condition of the road. He said: “Since then, the minor potholes have turned into major ones and the pavement has disappeared as it is covered in fly tipping.

“The council have been neglecting the street since 2018. It is often used by residents as a short cut into the city centre. I think the council believe it will cost a lot of money to fix and so they are just ignoring the problem.

“I would estimate it would cost the council around £600,000 to fix the street up as it is an old Victorian road and would need completely rebuilding. The potholes are hardly potholes but more like craters. They are a foot deep, 10-foot wide and are crater-like especially when they are filled with water.

“It becomes a mud bath as you go along the road and there is so much fly tipping. I think the people who live nearby have become immune to reporting it because nothing is being done. I have complained for years about it but the council seemed to ignore it. It’s sad because it is supposed to be an area of regeneration, but nothing is being done.”

Recently, nearby land was bought by HS2 and the road conditions are said to have become worse as heavy-duty vehicles use the street to access the HS2 site.

Gerry added: “I think the council sometimes think HS2 will do something about it but that won’t be finished until 2037 and we cannot wait until then for a solution. The area is known for fires to break out and when these cars are set on fire it causes pollution and these areas suffer.

“There are primary schools nearby and when one of those scrap yards goes up in flames, the pollution and health hazards it causes to the people living nearby is awful.

“There is also a waste transfer unit at the end of the road and the stench and dust this causes in the summer is another severe health hazard. All the issues need sorting, and the council are doing nothing and neglecting it. Is this the Birmingham we really want the world to see?”

Tory councillor for Erdington Robert Alden said: “While Labour-run Birmingham is once again spending millions on resurfacing the city centre, suburban areas like this are left with burnout cars and pothole ridden streets. This is totally unacceptable. Residents and businesses bear the cost of this and deserve better.”