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Interviewee: Plain text

Okay I’m just going to start off by asking your general views on young people in the area and their behaviour. So what are young people like on the estate?


Why, what are you looking for? I don’t know when the half terms are, but generally, playing football. The older ones, knocking on doors. I don’t know what they do. Some party next door… ‘bump, bump, bump’. On the (blank), I think.


Well the other week I went to see someone and there was some roughie toughie lads trying to cause trouble. High street fight; you know, big earrings and macho walk and all that carry on.


When I first moved here there were gangs that were taunting me. They set fire to my bin but apparently they are from another estate. Now which, I don’t know. I‘d probably say it could be the (blank) just looking for kicks.


And can you just tell me a little bit more about why you think this about the young people on the estate?


They tend to be lower class, don’t they? Parenting; bad parents, I suppose, or ignorant parents.


And so do you feel young people’s behaviour is a problem?


On the whole I’ve managed to avoid it. It’s pretty quiet on the whole as far as I feel at the moment, on this estate. I mean last Saturday I was down visiting and they were up and down with cans in their hands and shouting. Playing chicken on the road and what have you.


Is that round here?


On the (blank) estate.


And again can you tell me a bit more about why you think this? About young people’s behaviour being a problem?


Well it’s just in this area; it’s what I’ve witnessed.


So in general do you think the residents on the estate view young people’s behaviour as a problem?


I don’t know any residents. I’ve not integrated, if you will. I keep myself to myself and go up town or something. Library or whatever. You see I’m not working at the moment. That’s bloody awful. There are no facilities in (blank).


Right. No facilities for whom?


Well they’ve closed the Leisure Centre down. So there’s no swimming baths or gym or badminton court or anything. They shut that down at Christmas.


Just to go back over what you’ve said. You say you’re not really sure about residents in general?


I hear the rumours, but unless…. Rumours are rumours, aren’t they? Apart from being tormented. So I ignored them and they didn’t come back. I must have bored them to death, so…


Rather than chase them with a stick….


And so which young people do you think are actually causing a problem?


Well at a guess I’d say it is the twelve to sixteen year olds, and then the minors follow what the twelve to sixteen year olds do. And they all want to be macho, walking up and down.


And do you tend to see individuals or groups of young people?


Well I can’t put my finger on that; it varies. There are quite a few families. I’ve seen them coming home from school, the parents. From what I’ve seen, parent-wise, they seem quite a decent crew. Wherever they go I don’t know. Because it’s a quite large estate I suppose. Somebody’s had the windows smashed next door, but when that happened, I don’t know.


Okay so from what you said it seems to be coming from the twelve to sixteen year olds, at a guess?


With their Adidas caps and hoods and things.


And can you tell me a bit more about which young people are causing a problem?


Which? In particular?


Well not names, but in general?


Well the last crew was the Saturday but one. They were at (blank) in town and they were aggravating old folk, the security man. Effing and blinding. And as I went to visit someone on the (blank) estate - I didn’t know they lived there, but they were there - boasting, ‘I am the street fighter‘. And I found myself walking amongst them and I said ‘Hey you’ve just missed the police‘. ‘Oh we’ll give them what for if they come‘. They were boasting I suppose.


And where about was that, did you say?


(blank) town centre.


So where about do you think these young people are actually from?


Well there are pockets, because all the landlords are moving young girls in with children. Where I lived at one time there was all folk that had been there for years, elderly residents. They’ve been moved out obviously and then they’ve moved them in. Scum.


Okay so where about have they moved in?


Where I used to live it was further up town on terraced streets. They just move them in one by one so all the older folk are being moved out.


And can you think of any other areas where these young people come from?


There are a few places in (blank) where it is rough. I mean I did some voluntary work at one time and provided a bit of a youth club, pool table. But they just wrecked it. Mums and dads would drop them off at seven o clock and they’d just wander in, chasing each other in the toilets, just generally being naughty. And the other social workers, you know, threatening to sue them, aggravating them, knowing the law as such. You just see them wandering up and down. Employment wise there’s not a lot they can do.


So you think some of the younger people actually come from round here, or further field?


What, to cause a nuisance?


Yes.


This is what I’ve been told because I don’t really recognise anyone as such. If you see a crowd you feel intimidated if you’re by yourself.


So have you been affected by, or experienced, any problem behaviour by young people?


No, not me personally.


Have you heard of anything in the surrounding area at all?


No, I can’t say. No.