I visited the town where locals admit 'I'm really scared now'

Residents in Dudley say they don't feel safe on their roads - and hope to see progress under a new Government. With the General Election days away, I went to Dudley and locals were all concerned about one issue in particular.

People on the high street, near the market, said they wanted to see improvements in policing - particularly on their roads where one said "I don't feel safe". BirminghamLive has campaigned against road violence in the West Midlands after a spate of cyclist and pedestrian deaths.

With days to the local election, residents voiced their opinions about the upcoming general election and the issues that affect them. Some said the area was riddled with crime and others told us that the area needed investment.

Read more: Town 'turned to rubbish pit' as students just don't care

Harmid, 34 who runs a local shop in the town centre said that issues such as anti-social behaviour and homelessness had intensified over the years, particularly since the Labour Party left office in 2010. Harmid recalls a time when small businesses thrived and crime rates were lower.

"The people in Dudley liked the Labour Party because they provided relief for small businesses and there wasn't much crime," he said. However, since then he has noticed a significant increase in criminal activities, particularly drug dealing and homelessness. "Every year there's more crime, more people selling drugs, and many homeless individuals asking for extra coins,” he added.

Working in a local shop, Harmid said he witnesses firsthand the struggles of small business owners who face daily theft and vandalism. "People come asking for food, and if you refuse, they can smash your window or door" he said.

The rising costs of wages, electricity, gas, and food are making it increasingly difficult for shopkeepers to sustain their businesses. Retail store closures surged in 2023, with 14,081 shops shutting down across all sectors, according to the Local Data Company (LDC). This represents a dramatic increase of 2,551 closures compared to 2022's figure of 11,530. On average, 39 stores closed their doors each day in 2023

Harmid felt that it wasn’t worth contacting the police as it cost them more money. "If you complain to the police, they ask for CCTV footage, which costs money to produce," he notes. "Even after complaining, the same people are still there the next day."

Safety is another major concern for Harmid, both in terms of crime and traffic. "I'm really scared now," he admits. "A lot of people are driving without licenses or proper number plates. Even at red lights, they don't stop. Crossing the road is dangerous" he added.

Debbie, 60 shared her perspective on the new voting rules and said she wanted more changes. Debbie said that voting was really important and suggested that making voting compulsory might increase participation. She also proposed shifting voting to weekends to accommodate those with childcare responsibilities and other weekday commitments.

She said: "A lot of people have problems with childcare issues and disruptions in schools. If it's the weekend, you've got people that could do it on the way to shopping or coming back from shopping and don't have to worry about childcare for the kids. You'd probably have more people voting then."

Steve, 69 agreed and said that a key issue for him was regenerating the local area. He told BirminghamLive: "The most important issue for me is the regeneration of the area, there are so many empty shops now, and I don't like the way things have changed."

He added: "I've seen the area go downhill, especially the shopping centres".

Suzanne, 68 agreed and said that she was frustrated with the local infrastructure. "The roads are in terrible condition, there are potholes all over the place, and when it rains, there are big puddles everywhere," she said.

She described the inconvenience and potential hazards these conditions create for residents. "You have to dodge the puddles and potholes constantly" she added.

Suzanne doesn't hold back when asked to describe the potential leaders. She branded Sir Keir Starmer an "idiot" and on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak: “I can't stand him.”

The candidates for the Dudley seat are:

• Shakeela Bibi (Independent)

• Ian Flynn (Liberal Democrat)

• Aftab Hussain (Workers Party of Britain)

• Sonia Kumar (Labour)

• Marco Longhi (Conservative)

• Dharmanand Mortha (Independent)

• Zia Qari (Green)

• Andrew Southall (Reform UK)