People on Cardiff street raise concerns after stabbing

Residents have raised concerns over violence on a Cardiff street hours after a reported stabbing. It was business as usual on Clifton Street in Adamsdown, Cardiff, on Wednesday morning (July 3). But just hours before there had been an alleged stabbing - leaving two men in hospital and one man arrested.

Police officers were dispatched to an address on the road following the incident, which happened at around 9pm on Tuesday. They cordoned off a stretch of the road in both directions, as well as side streets.

Several police cars were at the scene. Residents stood around and watched on, prevented by police tape from walking further. For the latest Cardiff news, sign up to our newsletter here

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When WalesOnline paid a visit to the street at around 10am on Wednesday morning, the cordons had been lifted. People walked freely along the street, which stretches just over 500m through the heart of the inner-city suburb. The only sign there had been any disorder the night before was a small police presence, with a few officers making enquiries.

According to shopkeepers and residents, it's not unusual for there to be violence and disorder on the road. We spotted two smashed windows, including one on the door to a flat, which according to one resident was caused by a "drunkard" around two months ago.

A young woman who lives on the street, close to where Tuesday's alleged assault happened, said she heard "noise" from her room on Tuesday night and heard rumours about "knives" being involved when she came outside to look. "I really can’t say much [about the alleged stabbing] but the street is always chaotic," claimed the resident, who wanted to remain anonymous.

"There are always groups of different people on the road...When something is going on, everybody just stays away and watches from afar." She said the troubles on the road were driving her away. "I really want to just move away from this area," she said.

Meanwhile one employee of a shop on the street who also wanted to remain anonymous said she had not heard about the stabbing but she was "not surprised" it had happened. "I left just before 7pm [on Tuesday] and I know it can happen at any time...it doesn't matter what time of day it is. There was a stabbing [on the street] in May in broad daylight."

Speaking generally about the road, she said: "It's been quite difficult recently. It is a really nice street, we have been here for years...but it's been going really downhill and rough." She said there were problems with "drugs and violence".

"I have noticed a bit more of a police presence...but it's not made much of a difference," she said. "We quite often lock the door [of the shop] especially when there is one person in the shop. Quite often people walk in and steal something. We have got elderly [customers] who are just afraid to come in here...and we have people blocking the pavements [outside]." She added: "I feel really unsafe".

It's not the first time that people have spoken about issues on Clifton Street. In 2021, concerned residents went as far as to claim Adamsdown was a "no-go zone" rife with drugs, gangs, homelessness, fly-tipping, and stabbings - and they pointed the finger at Clifton Street as the epicentre of all the trouble.

But not everyone agreed. Several residents said they felt safe in the area and believe it had been "singled out" for its problems. Many praised the road for its variety of independent businesses and multiculturalism. For the latest Cardiff news, sign up to our newsletter here