A trendy city suburb that was once hailed as 'Britain's coolest neighbourhood' has now become a crime-ridden 'slum', according to locals.
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that → hail → locals
Digbeth, in Birmingham, rose to prominence after Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight opened a studio there in October 2025, where parts of the hit series and film starring Cillian Murphy were filmed.
It was also named one of the best places to live by the Sunday Times and has had multi-million pound investments in a bid to make it 'better than Salford's Media City'.
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it → rise → City
Next year, the BBC will also be moving into a new flagship HQ called The Tea Factory there which was recently completed as part of a £69.3million development.
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which → move → development
But fed-up locals have told of how their neighbourhood has become a magnet for criminals and fly-tippers.
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neighbourhood → feed → criminals
They say that the suburb has become an eyesore littered with vandalism and rubbish.
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suburb → say → vandalism
Once a haven for creative and arty types, some residents have accused developers of 'tearing the heart out of Digbeth'.
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residents → accuse → Digbeth
The city's iconic John F Kennedy mosaic in Digbeth, Birmingham, was recently defaced after proudly standing in the city since 1968
Pictures show graffiti tags sprayed along multiple buildings as well as rubbish dumped in the street, which locals say has become the norm
Fly tipping pictured on Stone Yard in Digbeth, Birmingham
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locals → deface → Digbeth
The city's iconic John F Kennedy mosaic was recently defaced after proudly standing in the city since 1968.
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mosaic → deface → 1968
Pictures show graffiti tags sprayed along multiple buildings as well as rubbish dumped in the street, which locals say has become the norm.
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locals → show → street
Natalie Freeman, 39, who works in the Custard Factory, a creative area of offices for several independent businesses, said: 'It's been a double-edged sword with the regeneration as it has sort of torn the heart out of Digbeth.
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it → work → Digbeth
The smaller independents are having to move out due to rising costs and parts of the area have become increasingly run-down and dangerous at night.
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parts → have → night
'The graffiti issue is a massive problem - it was always just street art but vandals just tag away with no repercussions now and almost every street is covered in it.
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street → tag → it
'People just dump rubbish all the time as well.
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People → dump → rubbish
It's pretty grim to be honest in parts and I don't feel that safe at night sometimes.
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I → feel → night
People say it's still a good nightlife but that can come with crime as well - there's been plenty of stabbings in Digbeth and a man was murdered at The Crane club a few years back.
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man → say → club
'They've pumped lots of money into certain projects in a tiny radius instead of focusing on Digbeth as a whole.
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They → pump → whole
Pictured: Litter on Warner Street, locals say the suburb has become an eyesore littered with vandalism and rubbish
Residents have complained about the amount of fly-tipping present in the suburb, pictured: Little Barr St in Digbeth
Vehicle parts left strewn on the road on Stone Yard in Digbeth
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St → picture → Digbeth
Instead of supporting the current shops, bars and other businesses which have made it what it is they've just got ideas above their station which means the rest of the suburb is starting to rot and become a slum.
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rest → support → suburb
Cody Fisher, 23, a semi-professional footballer, was stabbed to death on the dance floor of the Crane nightclub in Digbeth on Boxing Day 2022 following a minor altercation.
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Fisher → stab → altercation
Two men, Remy Gordon and Kami Carpenter, were convicted of his murder.
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men → convict → murder
Chinese national, Jinming Zhang, 41, was also murdered in a flat in Digbeth earlier that same year and his killer remains at large.
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killer → murder → Digbeth
The previous year Ashley Day, 20, was stabbed to death with a Rambo knife at a flat party advertised on social media.
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Day → stab → media
One office worker in the area, who did not want to be named, said: 'I won't let my daughters come in to town anymore and Digbeth has started attracting the wrong crowd.
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Digbeth → want → crowd
'It used to be one of the best nights out in the city but it's not safe.
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it → use → city
It looks a right dump in parts now.
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It → look → parts
'When you redevelop an area you've got to work with and support who is currently there but they haven't so it sort of kills the vibe which made Digbeth special in the first place.'
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Digbeth → redevelop → place
Digbeth was named one of the best places to live by the Sunday Times and has had multi-million pound investments in a bid to make it 'better than Salford's Media City'
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it → name → City
The reality is that the place has become an urban eyesore littered with vandalism and rubbish
Natalie Freeman, 39, who works in the Custard Factory (pictured), a creative area of offices for several independent businesses, said: 'It's been a double edge sword with the regeneration as it has sort of torn the heart out of Digbeth
Another local resident, Jamie, said: 'The graffiti has got out of hand - people are seeing the street art as meaning anyone can paint anything on any wall and it is starting to look a right mess.
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it → become → wall
Targeted the JFK in particular is appalling - a mural should be pretty sacred and kept up to date.
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mural → target → date
It's not right people doing things like that.
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people → do → that
Some places have been kept clean but in others it is starting to look really bad.'
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it → keep → others
Other locals reacted on social media after images were posted of the defaced JFK mural which was commissioned by Birmingham's Irish community five years after the US president was assassinated in 1963.
Birmingham
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president → react → 1963
Remember when street art and murals were treated with respect.
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art → remember → respect
'Kennedy mosaic in Digbeth covered by graffiti.
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mosaic → cover → graffiti
Why cannot we all take pride in the places we grow up in?'
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we → take → places
One social media user responded: 'The tags show it's the same people doing the graffiti over and over again.
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it → respond → graffiti
'Surely it's not beyond the wit of the authorities to find them, prosecute them and make them scrub the lot clean.
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them → find → lot
The place is festooned with cameras for goodness sake.'
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place → festoon → sake
Another web user posted: 'Sums up the current state of our once great city.'
Another commented: 'The whole of Digbeth is a disgrace.
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whole → post → Digbeth
Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight opened a studios there in October 2025 where parts of the hit series and film starring Cillian Murphy were filmed
Fed-up locals have told of how their neighbourhood has become a magnet for criminals and fly-tippers
Digbeth is currently undergoing a 20-year regeneration project which is aiming to transform the area into Birmingham's main creative and media hub across 11 development sites on 35 plots.
It was launched at the UK Real Estate, Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) in May 2025.
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It → open → May
…and 2 more, not listed.
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