{"id":426719,"date":"2026-02-15T08:16:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-15T08:16:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/426719\/"},"modified":"2026-02-15T08:16:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-15T08:16:12","slug":"the-surprising-uk-city-where-kids-with-machetes-run-riot-its-a-shhole-uk-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/426719\/","title":{"rendered":"The surprising UK city where kids with machetes run riot – ‘it’s a sh**hole’ | UK | News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Northam<\/p>\n

Residents say you can hear sirens all night at Northam estate in Southampton (Image: Humphrey Nemar)<\/p>\n

On Northam Estate, in Southampton<\/a>, the evening does not arrive quietly. Sirens wail in the distance, punctuated by shouting, the clatter of overturned bins, and the low hum of traffic that winds through the labyrinth of streets. Children\u2019s laughter is rare, and instead the air carries the acrid smell of smoke and drugs<\/a>. Cars are scarred by scratches and dents, discarded mattresses and litter pile up along pavements, and strangers wander the roads late into the night.<\/p>\n

For many residents, this is not a temporary nuisance, it is daily life. From mid-afternoon onwards, small groups gather in corners, their presence a reminder that the estate has become a hub for drug use, street-level dealing<\/a>, and anti-social behaviour. Those who live here describe a sense of constant vigilance, an effort to keep family and home safe as they navigate the unpredictable rhythms of the neighbourhood.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Top 10 ‘worst places to live’ in Britain in 2025 – with 3 famous seaside towns <\/a><\/p>\n

READ MORE: The famous UK seaside town where locals are too scared to go out after dark <\/a><\/p>\n

\"Charlotte<\/p>\n

Charlotte Glazebrook and her kids says threats are a daily occurence (Image: Humphrey Nemar)<\/p>\n

\"a<\/p>\n

Residents complain of drug users plaguing the estate (Image: Humphrey Nemar)<\/p>\n

Charlotte Glazebrook, 41, a mother of six, speaks of daily threats and neglect. \u201cIt is a sh*thole. People carrying machetes, taking drugs, the smell of drugs everywhere. People know everyone, and you get into trouble if you mess with the wrong people,” she said.<\/p>\n

“I live in a three-bedroom flat with six children, and the council doesn\u2019t help. Last year we had a bedbug issue, they sent someone, but they took almost all my furniture and gave me a \u00a31,000 bill.\u201d<\/p>\n

Residents describe the estate as a place where fear and frustration coexist. Those who have lived here for decades admit that the problems have grown, from the spread of drug abuse and gangs to housing issues, infestations, and poor council support.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a good area,\u201d says Bashir Karimi, 46, who lives with his four-year-old son. \u201cThere are always a lot of druggies around shouting at night. One of them even scratched my car. I don\u2019t feel safe.<\/p>\n

“From three o\u2019clock, you can start to see them all come in. I took pictures to report to the police, but they told me I wasn\u2019t allowed to take photos. And there is always rubbish in the streets. People pull out the bins, I don\u2019t know what they\u2019re searching for, but it\u2019s left everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rory Kane, 36, recalls a terrifying incident during a recent cold snap. \u201cSome people on drugs broke into the building to get warm,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen they tried to break into my house. My wife was alone and had to shout my name to make them think someone was home. It was so scary. The estate has many exit points, so by the time you call the police, they\u2019ve gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"James<\/p>\n

James Hyland, 53, said the noise is constant (Image: Humphrey Nemar)<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

An abandoned vandalised truck in the estate (Image: Humphrey Nemar)<\/p>\n

Katherine Karowea, 48, frequently walks her dog through the area. \u201cIt\u2019s very dirty, and in the last few weeks, there have been young people wielding knives.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s terrifying. There\u2019s a police centre here, but I\u2019ve never seen it open. The police don\u2019t do anything. I would never live here,\u201d she says, declining a photo as she said: “I’ll get in trouble if they saw my face. They’ll find me.”<\/p>\n

For James Hyland, 53, who moved in six months ago, the noise and disorder are constant. \u201cIt is horrible. Very noisy at night, trash everywhere,\u201d he says, gesturing toward a mattress abandoned on the pavement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are so many people on drugs and alcohol. You can hear sirens all night, but I don\u2019t see the police presence making much of a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wayne Hobbit, 69, has watched the estate decline over decades. \u201cYears ago, this was a good estate,\u201d he says. \u201cNow, people gather on the grass drinking and taking drugs.<\/p>\n

“The council is changing windows, but they won\u2019t deal with mould, rats, or broken facilities. None of that has been addressed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Zamira<\/p>\n

Zamira Kay said that, on the contrary, people on the estate are friendly (Image: Humphrey Nemar)<\/p>\n

\"the<\/p>\n

One resident says she has never seen the police office open (Image: Humphrey Nemar)<\/p>\n

But not every resident sees the estate as unsafe. Nineteen-year-old Zamira Kay, who has lived here her whole life, says: \u201cI think it\u2019s great. I don\u2019t have any issues here, and it\u2019s very friendly.\u201d<\/p>\n

The council says it is taking action. Councillor Sarah Bogle, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Growth and Skills, explains that while Northam Estate sits outside her ward, colleagues are focusing on housing, anti-social behaviour, and crime.<\/p>\n

\u201cDrug-related crime is significant, and there are joint efforts with the police and voluntary organisations to tackle it,\u201d she says. She adds that services include drug treatment programs, homelessness support, youth activities, and increased police visibility.<\/p>\n

\u201cResidents reporting problems is crucial,\u201d Ms Bogle says. \u201cThe more information the police have, the better they can target resources. It\u2019s about partnership – council, police, voluntary sector – all working together.\u201d<\/p>\n

But for many living on the estate, the interventions feel slow, and daily life remains tense. Northam Estate is a place where fear and frustration are part of the routine, and where safety can feel uncertain at every turn.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for Hampshire Police said: “It is of utmost importance to us that residents of the Northam estate have confidence that their local policing team are working to tackle the issues which matter most to them.<\/p>\n

“We have seen a continual decrease in the overall number of crimes reported in the area, particularly over the last year, but we also acknowledge that it is key people feel safe in their community.<\/p>\n

“Tackling drug-supply, and the associated violence and activities that accompany this, and addressing anti-social behaviour are priorities for us.<\/p>\n

“Our local policing team carry out regular patrols on the estate, which includes stopping at stores, the caf\u00e9 and the community centre to speak with local people about any issues. We also work hard to develop and act on information provided to us to disrupt criminal behaviour, as well as targeting individuals or addresses involved in such activity.<\/p>\n

“We work closely with the council, the local housing officer and estate wardens to make sure information is being shared and issues are dealt with. As well as their patrols, our neighbourhood policing officers also hold regular community meetings, where residents can come to see us and directly discuss issues impacting them.<\/p>\n

“We will continue to work to tackle the issues raised by the community, and would urge them to keep reporting these to us so we can develop intel and for it to inform our patrol plans.”<\/p>\n

Daily Express has also approached Southampton City Council for comment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Residents say you can hear sirens all night at Northam estate in Southampton (Image: Humphrey Nemar) On Northam…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":426720,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[15642,924,156558,2505,59,57,58,50,156557,565,3883,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-426719","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-united-kingdom","8":"tag-anti-social-behaviour","9":"tag-crime","10":"tag-drug-related-crime","11":"tag-drugs","12":"tag-gb","13":"tag-great-britain","14":"tag-greatbritain","15":"tag-news","16":"tag-northam-estate","17":"tag-southampton","18":"tag-towns","19":"tag-uk","20":"tag-united-kingdom","21":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/426719","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=426719"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/426719\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/426720"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=426719"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=426719"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=426719"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}