The UK town 'worse than the Bronx' where kids as young as 10 carry knives

A tiny municipality has go a hotspot for gangs of young children who are terrorising the town.

Blackwood, successful Wales, has go known for vandalism and knife-weilding teens who locals find intimidating.

The youngsters tin beryllium seen successful groups arsenic large arsenic 20 radical chiefly beneath property 18, reports The Sun.

Residents person spoken astir the interaction these young radical person had connected the town with immoderate aged locals acrophobic of them.

The assembly held a gathering with cops aft 1 teen was chased by different done the municipality with a knife.

Blackwood Town Council staged an emergency meeting successful response, wherever its ain lawman politician compared it to the crime-hit New York borough.

But the gathering was swiftly interrupted by youngsters who marched into the tiny assembly gathering and resisted efforts to region them until police arrived.

Deputy politician George Etheridge said: “Blackwood has go worse than the Bronx with anti-social behaviour. It is wholly retired of control.

“Blackwood autobus presumption is simply a continual occupation with e-scooters and bikes being ridden done the autobus presumption and youngsters terrorising people.”

The erstwhile sleepy municipality is located connected the Sirhowy River successful the South Wales Valleys wrong the Caerphilly County Borough. 

Town councillor Andrew Short, 56, has a car enactment store and antiques store other the autobus presumption waiting rooms.

Speaking to The Sun, helium said: “Lots of radical - particularly aged radical oregon the disabled - don’t privation to usage the autobus station, and I fto them hold here, due to the fact that they’ve been abused by these kids. One antheral tried to get escaped of them and they threatened to stab him.”

The issue remains ongoing but constabulary are moving to ace down connected the problem. 

A spokesperson for Blackwood Town Council said caller comparisons to the Bronx had “unfairly tarnished” the town's reputation.

They added: “While we admit concerns astir anti-social behaviour, peculiarly astir Blackwood Station aft dark, we are actively addressing these issues.

“On January 23, 2025, councillors met with constabulary and bureau partners to convey residents' concerns and to impulse the afloat usage of disposable powers against offenders.

“A broad program is present underway to tackle this behaviour, and we expect a existent and sustained diminution successful incidents that origin distress successful our community.

“We are profoundly acrophobic astir the Welsh Government's determination to chopped backing for assemblage enactment officers, arsenic good arsenic Caerphilly Council's program to axe assemblage information wardens, some of which play important roles successful maintaining our safety.

“Despite these challenges, the resilience and tone of Blackwood's residents and autarkic businesses stay strong. Our municipality is vibrant, welcoming, and precise overmuch unfastened for business.”