Dangerous Yardley underpass closed after sexual assault

A woman who was sexually assaulted in a pedestrian underpass in Birmingham has successfully campaigned to have the subway closed to prevent repeats of the shocking incident.

Beth Farrington, 20, has bravely waived her legal right to anonymity to tell her story after suffering a sickening sexual assault by a stranger in an underpass underneath the A45 Coventry Road.

Since the attack in August 2020, the apprentice accountant has campaigned for the subway near Lily Road and Preston Road, Yardley, to be closed to the public.

She gained the support of Yardley MP Jess Phillips – shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding – and Birmingham City Council.

The council has now said the underpass will be closed as part of its new £1m Local Improvement Budget fund, which is funding transport improvements at ward level across Birmingham with four more schemes already identified.

The underpass in Yardley is set to be gated at both ends in the summer, with signs directing pedestrians to the pelican crossing outside Texaco – which is about 90m east of the subway.

What has Beth said about the attack in her own words?

Ms Farrington said: “I was walking home – I had got dropped off at the Swan roundabout by a colleague.

“I went to walk down the underpass. As I was walking down, there was a man lurking around the bottom.

“I thought maybe he was waiting for his friend and just carried on walking down. I did not think much of it.”

She said when she got to the part of the underpass which passes under the road, the man was walking away from her but then stopped and turned.

She said: “He started running towards me and sexually assaulted me. He grabbed me on the breast and ran away.

“I was quite shocked at what had happened – so much so I didn’t realise what had happened.

“I thought ‘did he stab me?’ – because it hurt. I thought ‘well no because there would be blood’.

“It clicked in my head what he had done. I shouldn’t have, but fight or flight kicked in and I chased him.”

She was not able to catch up with the man, who disappeared. She reported the matter to the police, but the perpetrator has so far not been caught.

She added: “That is why I was campaigning to get it shut. It’s a place where people can graffiti, clearly [people] do drugs, it smells and it’s not safe. By closing it, it would take away a place where a perpetrator can commit crimes.

“When I spoke to Jess Phillips about it, she agreed we should campaign to get it shut.”

Sadly the offence has had a lasting impact on Ms Farrington – who has had counselling and also received a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.

What has Jess Phillips MP said about the underpass?

Ms Phillips said: “I am delighted to see this investment secured to improve the safety of residents in our area because I have been campaigning with victims and residents to have this unsafe underpass closed following an assault in 2020.

“It is very welcome to see the council listen to and deliver for local people.”

What has West Midlands Police said about the underpass?

A West Midlands Police spokesperson said the force would act on any new information received about the attack.

They said: “The force received a report of a woman being sexually assaulted on an underpass off Coventry Road, Yardley, on the evening of August 4, 2020.

“There were limited lines of enquiry to follow and no suspect was identified at the time.

“However, no case is ever closed and we’ll act on any fresh information we receive. We can be contacted via Live Chat on our website, or by calling 101, and quote 20BE/183856D/20.”

What other transport schemes are being funded by the Local Improvement Budget?

Other changes around the city being brought about through the Local Improvement Budget are set to include:

Vehicle-activated speed signs in 20 wards to address “local speeding concerns”

“Safer routes and road safety measures” for Chilcote Primary School in Hall Green

Traffic calming scheme on Cranes Park Road in Sheldon

Traffic calming scheme on Billesley Lane in Moseley

What has the council said about the Local Improvement Budget?

Cabinet member for transport and environment Cllr Waseem Zaffar said: “Since the Local Improvement Budget was created, in December 2021, residents’ road safety concerns have been reviewed together with proposals put forward by local councillors.

“I am pleased to announce that these key local road safety and safer routes schemes will begin development this year.”

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