The neighbours of William Shakespeare’s family cottage say their once idyllic village is overrun with county lines drug dealers as they claim police fail to keep them safe.
Residents living in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire say they are scared to leave their homes amid fear of anti-social yobs.
Locals close to Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway, cottage claim the village has been turned into “hell”.
Those living on South Green Drive say their lives have become “miserable” since the “criminals won”.
One resident who has lived on the street for 50 years said it is “quite frightening” when “cars full of big men” are spotted along the road.
The neighbour also claimed that drug dealers had moved in next door and children “aged 14 and 15” throw stone at windows.
According to the anonymous resident, the police “can’t cope” as “it’s the county lines drug gangs who are operating here”.
Another young mum, who arrived six years ago, said the “area is falling apart”.
She added that “people who used to stop for a chat now lock themselves in their homes.”
Other neighbours allege that “armed police come and raid homes” – which is “a weekly occurrence”.
A spokesperson for Orbit housing, which owns several properties on the road, told the Daily Mail: “We do not condone anti-social behaviour in any of our properties and understand the negative impact these issues have on other residents.
“We’re listening to the concerns raised by residents and thanks to the information they’ve provided.
“We’re working closely with the local authority and police to take appropriate action including pursuing legal action for breach of tenancy.
“We encourage all of our customers to continue to report incidents of anti-social behaviour to the police as well as ourselves as we work together to deter and prevent similar issues in the future.”
Sergeant Clair Price of Warwickshire Police said: “While we cannot comment on individual cases, we welcome reports of suspicious activity and officers across the county regularly take action based on these reports.”
