Our town’s overrun by teen yobs who smash up our livelihoods, brazenly deal drugs & attack homeless…cops have no control
IT’S one of the UK’s oldest boroughs, but Barnstaple is being plagued by a new wave of crime and antisocial behaviour driven by teenage yobs who are “out of control”.
Residents in the picturesque riverside town in North Devon are bracing themselves for the upcoming Easter holidays, fearing these destructive schoolboys and girls will run riot through the High Street and harass local traders.
When The Sun visited this week, distressed locals told how vandalism, brazen drug-dealing and using on the streets and a homeless community taunted by abusive youths are among the list of woes they regularly endure.
In the local park, where street-sleepers have pitched tents in the bushes, a man complained he’d recently had his slashed by a heartless lout.
One shop-owner, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, told how their store windows have been smashed frequently.
“There’s a huge problem with anti-social behaviour in Barnstaple, it’s gone right downhill in the past couple of years,” they said.
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“I’ve been called a c*** in the past before I’ve even opened up in the morning. We’ve seen drug deals happening right outside our window and gangs of youths hanging around.
“People from all over the country come here and say, ‘What on earth has happened to Barnstaple?’
“The council don’t do much and the police have lost control of the town.”
Beauty therapist Sophie Mclear, 26, works at the Powder Room off the High Street, which is owned by her mum Katrina.
She told how she chased down a group of kids aged between 11-16 after they smashed up her advertising chalk-board before running off.
Sophie said: “A group of them came past, kicked the chalk-board outside the salon and it went up in the air and smashed on the ground.
The annual crime rate in the county of Devon is 0.3 per 1,000 people each year, as of December 2023.
Violent crimes make up 33.4 per cent of all those reported in the county.
A representative for North Devon Council added: “We work in close partnership with Devon and Cornwall Police and other partners to address antisocial behaviour.
“We have an antisocial behaviour Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) within Barnstaple town centre which allows us to directly deal with the conduct that can have a damaging impact on people’s lives and local businesses.
“The PSPO empowers the police and our own ASB officer, neighbourhood wardens, Civil Enforcement Officers and street marshals to address negative behaviour and ensure the town centre is a place residents and visitors can enjoy safely.
“Persistent offenders may also be dealt with through formal warnings, notices and court enforcement action..
“Street marshals have been in the town centre since November 2022, funded by the council following a successful pilot of the scheme through the Government’s Safer Streets fund.
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FOOD
You can find free food stations via:
The Pavement - for food and soup runs:
Homeless Link - for day centres:
The Trussell Trust - for food banks:
Food Cycle - for food services -
HOUSING
Councils have a duty to help people who are homeless or facing homelessness. Contact the Housing Options team from the council you have a local connection to and see if they can offer:
- Emergency accommodation - a place in a shelter or a hostel
- Longer-term accommodation including independent or social housing
Visit:
During times of severe cold or heat, local councils have special accommodation known as Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP). Find out more here: .
For advice, support or legal services related to housing visit or call 0808 800 4444.
You can also contact Crisis:
For housing advice, call Shelter on 0808 800 4444 or visit: .
DAY CENTRES
Day centres can help by providing internet access, free or cheap food, shower and laundry facilities, safe storage for belongings, phone charging and clothes, toiletries or sleeping bags.
They can also help with services for benefits or immigration advice; health support; finding work; educational or social activities; hostel, night shelter or outreach referrals.
Centres can be found through Homeless Link:
BENEFITS
Normally you can claim Universal Credit if you are sleeping on the streets or staying in a hostel. If you are in a hostel, you can claim Housing Benefit to help with rent. You do not need a fixed address or a bank account.
USEFUL CONTACTS
Crisis - visit: or call 0300 636 1967.
Shelter - visit: or call 0808 800 4444.
Centrepoint (for people aged 16-25) - visit: or call 0808 800 0661.
St Mungo’s (Bath, Bournemouth, Brighton, Bristol, Christchurch, Leicester, Oxford, Poole and Reading) - visit: or call 020 3856 6000.
Depaul UK (for young people) - visit: or call 0207 939 1220.
Citizen's Advice (legal advice) - visit: or call 0345 404 0506.
The Samaritans (health and wellbeing) - or call 116 123.