Middlesbrough's young people say they can't see gang crime stopping
Following a fatal crash last month that killed seven people, including two police officers, young men at a Middlesbrough boxing club describe how gangs and crime shape daily life in the area. They say a lack of activities and opportunities pushes youths towards crime.
At Hemlington Boxing Club in Middlesbrough, young men find an escape from street crime, even as riders on quad bikes, faces hidden by balaclavas, roar through the darkness outside.
Dylan, 20, who trains at the club, says such scenes are common and that police can do little to stop them. He knew one of the young men killed last month when a car travelling the wrong way down the A66 collided with a police vehicle following a police chase. Five young men aged 17 to 23 died in the crash, along with two police officers. Four of the five men in the car had previous convictions for offences including car theft, drug possession and assaulting police officers.
Boxers at the club say a shortage of safe activities and opportunities for young people in the area is a major factor pulling youths into crime. Dylan, who works as a joiner, credits his job and boxing with keeping him away from gangs, though he acknowledges many of his peers lack similar options.
A report published last month by the Centre for Social Justice found north-east England has the UK's highest rate of NEETs — young people not in education, employment or training — with around one in five 16 to 24-year-olds in the region falling into that category.
Other members, including 21-year-old Alex, say crime has become "normal" in the area, with some even filming offences for social media. Since the crash, Alex's family has urged him to leave the area as its reputation has worsened.
The young men say trust in police is low but call for greater understanding on both sides. Cleveland Police Chief Constable Victoria Fuller said the aftermath of the crash had been difficult for the force and that the area is sometimes portrayed unfairly in national media, while acknowledging more needs to be done to make the community safer and rebuild trust.
