Fly-tippers have turned a trendy Birmingham neighbourhood into a graffiti-covered wasteland.
Shocking pictures show the area littered in vandalised cars and dumped rubbish – including furniture, laughing gas canisters and even a Henry hoover.
The disgusting scenes were captured near the city centre in the hip area of Digbeth, which had been previously named as one of the best places to live in the UK by The Sunday Times after becoming a hotspot for arty types.
Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight is even opening a film studio complex in the area where Channel 4 already filmed the Joe Lycett comedy chat show Late Night Lycett.
The trendy suburb will also be home to the BBC’s new flagship HQ, called The Tea Factory, as part of a £69.3 million development.
Shocking photos of have showcased the problem of flytipping in the trendy area of Digbeth in Birmingham
Laughing gas canisters and even a Henry hoover were spotted amongst the debris
But a video showcasing the fly-tipping has captured the ‘true reality’ of living in the area say residents.
It shows cardboard pieces, bin bags and various items of rubbish being piled high and dumped on Little Barr Street.
Residents say the grim sight reminded them of post-apocalyptic scenes from Netflix show The Last of Us and the area has become a hotspot for crime and fly-tipping.
One student, who lives in flats near the Custard Factory and wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘I heard all sorts of awesome things about Digbeth before I moved here.
‘But it can be really moody. It doesn’t feel safe going out at night sometimes, especially on weekends. It certainly has more than its fair share of crime.
‘We’ve had stabbings and murders here, people use the streets as a dumping ground. It can look cool in parts but turn a corner and you’re looking at a bombsite.#
‘Hopefully the investment going into it can get it back up the standards it was. But it appears after Covid, this all stalled. Even the BBC studios plans have been put back.
‘Its like the cost of living crisis has stalled everything and the result is that Digbeth is no longer a trendy place to be – but a bit of a dump.’
Residents say the grim sight reminded them of post-apocalyptic scenes from Netflix show The Last of Us
One student who lives in the area said Digbeth is no longer a trendy place to be and has become a ‘bit of a dump’
The area was littered in vandalised cars and dumped rubbish – including building site waste and furniture
The area has become a scene of overflowing dumpsters and rubbish
One Birmingham office worker said the area has become an inaccessible building site due to the council extending the tram from the city centre
Digbeth was once billed as the ‘UK’s coolest neighbourhood’ it has now become a magnet for fly-tipping
The area has also seen some violent crimes. Last year, promising footballer Ashley Day, 20, was stabbed to death with a Rambo knife at a flat party advertised on social media.
And on Boxing Day the previous year, Cody Fisher, 23, died after being stabbed at the Crane nightclub in Digbeth.
Once billed as the ‘UK’s coolest neighbourhood’, locals warn it is now a no-go zone after dark and a magnet for fly-tipping.
Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner even partied at a bar in Digbeth in September following the announcement of her divorce from Joe Jonas.
Birmingham office worker Harvey Saunders, 20, added: ‘It’s been like a building site while they’ve extended the tram from the city centre and that’s still not finished.
‘I think it has put people off coming to Digbeth as it’s become pretty inaccessible. So the knock-on effect is that the place is becoming a bit neglected.
‘There was a bit of glitz and glamour with all the celebrities in the area when Joe Lycett was filming his show here.
‘But then you see these streets covered in rubbish and it looks like something from a zombie movie or The Last of Us.
‘I know there’s all these grand plans which might turn its fortunes around but right now the true reality is that it isn’t really the cool area it’s been made out to be.’
Harvey added: ‘The nightlife used to be amazing around here but it has started to attract the wrong sort of crowd. It can be pretty rough.
‘Even the Digbeth Dining Club moved out of the area to nearer the Jewellery Quarter.
‘I hope it can recover though because there are still great shops and bars. The vibe has been great in the not-too-distant past.
‘That scene just needs rediscovering and perhaps a bit more investment will help that.’
Local businesses in the area have also closed down and have been boarded up.
The area has previously been known for its nightlife of ‘glitz and glamour’, but locals warn it has now become a no-go zone for some after dark
A broken Henry hoover was dumped alongside the rubble
The site is apparently being used as a dumping ground for building site waste – with heavy paving slabs and lumber being discarded on the road
The flytipping on Little Edward street included empty gas canisters and cardboard boxes
Other items amongst the rubble included an office chair and coathangers
Addressing the fly-tipping issue, Birmingham City Council said the authority would prosecute those found responsible for illegally dumping rubbish.
Councillor Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for environment, said: ‘Those who dump waste on public or private land are environmental criminals, who are expecting others in our city to foot the bill for the disposal of their rubbish and unwanted items.
‘There is no excuse for this anti-social behaviour, which shows no regard for the surroundings in which we all have to live and work – there are many legitimate ways to get rid of waste so there is simply no excuse.
‘We investigate incidents and do not hesitate to take enforcement action or prosecute offenders, as demonstrated in the past by many high-profile cases.’
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak vowed last year to clamp down on fly-tipping as part of his attempt to reduce the problems caused by anti-social behaviour.
On-the-spot fines for those who fly-tip more than doubled in July from £400 to up to £1,000, as part of the PM’s plan to try and eradicate fly-tipping.
However analysis of fly-tipping in the UK revealed fewer than one in 500 litter louts were successfully taken to court in 2022, with the practice costing the taxpayer around £392million a year.