The UK seaside town overrun by criminals where 'nine year olds have knives'

Paignton has been plagued with 'knife wielding children' tormenting locals (Image: Getty)

Once a jewel of the 'English Riviera', the seaside municipality of Paignton, Devon has present go synonymous with crime, anti-social behavior, and younker violence, with reports of knife-wielding children arsenic young arsenic 9 roaming the streets.

As reported by Metro successful January, frightened residents accidental they nary longer admit their beloved town, arsenic it has descended into lawlessness, with gang-related activity, rampant shoplifting, and nationalist upset making mundane beingness progressively dangerous.

Situated on the scenic Torbay coastline, Paignton was erstwhile a thriving tourer destination, celebrated for its aureate beaches, family-friendly attractions, and tranquil atmosphere.

But successful caller years, a acheronian unreality has settled implicit the town, with reports of "feral" youths taking implicit the streets, intimidating shopkeepers, and adjacent carrying knives.

"You mightiness get stabbed up by children," 1 section told YouTuber Wendall, an municipality explorer who visited Paignton aft proceeding shocking reports astir its decline. "They’ll stab you for nary crushed astatine all, and they’re astir 12."

Paignton was erstwhile a thriving tourer destination (Image: Getty)

The concern has go truthful dire that constabulary have arrested an 11-year-old lad for being drunk and disorderly, portion groups of children person been caught vandalizing shops and verbally abusing staff.

The once-thriving municipality centre is present described as lawless, with immoderate residents excessively frightened to spell retired astatine night.

Melvyn, a Salvation Army bandsman who has lived successful Paignton for implicit 60 years, recalls a clip erstwhile the municipality was beautifully maintained and afloat of life. Now, helium says, neglect and transgression person taken hold.

"I've been present since 1963, which is 60 years. I'm 80 years old, and similar everyplace successful this country, the deterioration is precise noticeable now. The assembly either haven’t got the wealth oregon they walk it successful antithetic ways.

"When I came present successful '63, the gardens were kept perfectly pristine. There’s a batch of unease around; radical are not arsenic relaxed arsenic they were."

The once-iconic Crossways buying centre present stands abandoned, its decay symbolic of the town’s decline.

Meanwhile, Paignton’s seafront, which was erstwhile a bustling hub for tourists, has present been plagued by gang-related incidents, including youths throwing stones from car parkland rooftops and underage girls physically attacking unit astatine the pier.

Paignton has besides recovered itself entangled successful region lines cause operations, wherever gangs from larger cities exploit susceptible children to tally drugs. Reports bespeak that young radical successful Torbay are being recruited arsenic couriers, further escalating transgression rates.

In August 2023, Inspector Chris Lithgow of Devon & Cornwall Police acknowledged the issue, stating: "We are dealing with youths progressive successful convulsive offences done the younker justness system."

But for locals, this is small reassurance. Many consciousness abandoned by the authorities and fearfulness that transgression volition lone worsen without urgent intervention.

Devon & Cornwall Police person launched respective crackdowns to reconstruct bid successful the town, but galore judge it's excessively little, excessively late.

In a connection past year, Paignton Police said: "We person been receiving galore reports of gangs of youths causing issues successful and astir Paignton Town Centre and the Sea Front area. They are stealing, confronting shopkeepers, threatening concern owners, and acting successful a disorderly manner."

"There person besides been respective incidents reported connected the Pier implicit the weekend, which resulted successful a radical of drunk females (14-15 years old) having to beryllium escorted disconnected whilst assaulting unit arsenic they refused to leave."

Despite its existent struggles, immoderate locals stay hopeful that Paignton tin reclaim its erstwhile glory.

They are calling connected the assembly and instrumentality enforcement to instrumentality tougher measures against transgression and put successful younker programs to forestall children from falling into gangs.

Daily Express has approached Torbay Council for comment.