We moved to a "regeneration" area about 4 years ago when it was really hard for 1st time buyers to get a mortgage. The only place we could afford was in an area that was pretty rough but the local council had put lots of money into regenerating the area. When we initially moved, we lived on a buidling site as it was phase 1 new build and there was constant street battles between gangs of local neds/hoodies. If they weren't fighting amongst themselves, they were tagging the streets and marching around in gangs singing and shouting and basically intimidating all the new build owners. They would pull up the fencing and throw it at our houses. When the police turned up, they would scatter and it would all start again the next night.
Things cleared up for a while and all was semi quiet until recently. Several homes have had windows smashed, car windows smashed, tagged with graffiti and gangs have started to hang about in the street. People are terrified and there don't seem to be many police around anymore.
The thing is, I spend a lot of time on my own with DS who is still just a baby and I am incredibly intimidated. I already have severe anxiety and this is really making it worse. No houses round here are selling at all at the moment - we had planned to be out of here by now (as I am sure is the case with many) but the "credit crunch" means we are basically stuck here for the time being and I am terrified.
This is soooo driving me crazy - I am a complete mess. I don't even know why I am posting this but I feel like such a pathetic wimp just sitting here watching it happen but I can't confront a gang of neds. Especially when half of them carry knives... if not all.