Locals in London’s most ‘up-and-coming’ suburb have warned newcomers of its risks, saying they are ‘afraid to go out at night’ due to high levels of crime and drunks ‘lying on the streets’.
Thornton Heath in south London is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after places to live in the capital due to low housing costs compared to the city’s average.
You can generally purchase a four bedroom home in the district, which lies in the Borough of Croydon, for anywhere between £400,000 and £500,000 – while being just a 30 minute commute away from the city centre.
In comparison, most similarly sized houses closer to the heart of the capital will see prospective buyers cough up at least £1million in order to entertain discussions with its owners.
But after it became the fastest-growing area for rent increases in London due to its relative affordability, many residents of Thornton Heath say the cheap price of housing comes with its downsides.
Gerry Skinell has lived in Thornton Heath for 40 years and branded it a ‘s*** h***’ – laying the blame at the behaviour of local youngsters.
He told MailOnline: ‘The biggest problem is the people themselves. It’s a multinational area which is great but the young ones are making an a**e of it.
‘They don’t respect their elders, they think they’re better than them and that’s what is wrong. They’re out of hand.
Gerry Skinell has lived in Thornton Heath for 40 years and branded it a ‘s***e h**e’ – laying the blame at the behaviour of local youngsters
The south London suburb is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after places to live in the capital due to low housing costs compared to the city’s average
You can generally purchase a four bedroom home in the district for anywhere between £400,000 and £500,000
‘This used to be a brilliant place. The Jamaica Club used to be around the corner and many times we had a great night there. But they’ve closed nearly all the pubs down now.’
Of the 13 pubs in Thornton Heath, many are situated around the nearby football stadium of Selhurst Park, home to last week’s FA Cup winners Crystal Palace.
And while that triumphant victory at Wembley has certainly given the area a lift – as pubs and fences are awash with red and blue bunting – the undercurrent of fear for women in the suburb will remain a problem when the party is over.
NHS worker Teodora Balaban, 29, has lived in Thornton Heath for 10 years and says she is concerned about the lack of policing.
She said: ‘I wouldn’t go out at night as a small woman after 8pm. The crime rate is high and I think it’s because they’re not investing in police in the area.
NHS worker Teodora Balaban, 29, has lived in Thornton Heath for 10 years and says she is concerned about the lack of policing
Many pubs in Thornton Heath are situated around the nearby football stadium of Selhurst Park (pictured) home to last week’s FA Cup winners Crystal Palace
‘It’s changed a lot since I’ve been here and there’s a lot of diversity which is alright as long as everyone pays their taxes like the rest of us.’
For her elder, Eileen Riley, 75, who has lived in Thornton Heath with her husband since 1987, the same problem plagues the streets.
She said: We don’t like to come out at night. There’s too many people lying around and drinking in the street.
‘But because I’ve been here for so long, all the drinkers know me now. So in a way that’s handy.
‘I do believe it is going to get better. A lot of posh people from Brixton and the likes are moving here because the rental prices are cheaper.
Eileen Riley, 75, who has lived in Thornton Heath with her husband since 1987, says she fears the streets at night
Much of Thornton Heath’s High Street is derelict, with its buildings clad with ripped posters and graffiti
The High Street has an assortment of multicultural food establishments
Many colourful buildings make the High Street pleasing on the eye
‘My neighbour’s house went for £450,000 which in London is unbelievable.
‘Thornton Heath will be good again and it’s the same for Croydon. Once they do that up it will be posh again.
‘My son lives in Thornton Heath and he’d prefer not to. He doesn’t think it’s safe for his children but he’ll eventually move.
‘My husband on the other hand won’t budge from here. He tells me they’ll have to take him out of here in a coffin.
‘There’s not a lot going on here, but we’ve got a Tesco, Poundland, Sainsbury’s and the doctors down the road. And the thing is, the houses are cheap.’
Thornton Heath’s train station is at the heart of the suburb and commuters can travel from it to central London in around 30 minutes
Some homeowners in Thornton Heath appear to have abandoned their gardens
Ambassador House in Thornton Heath towers over the centre of the district, with many shops trading underneath
A halal meat shop on Thornton Heath High Street is one of many of the area’s wholesalers
The clocktower in Thornton Heath is another attraction in the district’s centre
With Rightmove data revealing Thornton Heath to be he fastest-growing area for rent increases in the city, local businesses say they are feeling the benefits.
Simon Ford, 60, who has owned Kinsgbury Estate Agents for 32 years, believes it is one of the best times to be in the rental business.
He told MailOnline: ‘The major thing for us has been the price increases, which have shot up very quickly.
‘In the last two years we’ve seen a huge increase. I think it’s mainly because of people coming here to work in Mayday [Hospital].
‘The demand is good for us. It’s great that prices are so high because we get extra commission as well, but it’s tough for people.
Simon Ford, 60, who has owned Kinsgbury Estate Agents for 32 years, believes it is one of the best times to be in the rental business
Many rental signs can be seen driving through Thornton Heath – a symbol of the area’s newfound popularity
In the north of Thornton Heath lies a more affluent area which local estate agents dub ‘Americaland’ as it comprises of Maryland Road, Virginia Road, Florida Road and California Road
A launderette on the high street shows a Palestinian flag adorning the wall
‘But I think we’ve got to a stage where rental prices are levelling. They don’t seem to be going up anymore.
‘We tried to push a couple up by £50 or £100 to see if we can get a bit more, but in truth I think it is levelling again.
Mr Ford also said demographic of those in the area has changed a lot since he took ownership of the business.
‘The area used to be predominantly white. It was an area where you had properly 70 or 80 per cent of the houses owner occupied. That’s probably changed to 30 or 40 per cent maximum.
‘But a lot of newcomers have mainly been Indian and Pakistani. There have been a lot of foreign workers coming with work visas so our clientele has changed over the years.
In the backdrop of a kebab shop in Thornton Heath is a building fully clad in street art
A boarded up butchers with graffiti across its exterior is on the heart of the high street
Many bins in the area feature posters titled ‘Welcome to Thornton Heath’ with an image of the clocktower
‘Most of them seem to work locally. We do get some commuters to central London or places like Tooting, Streatham and Brixton.’
Despite Thornton Heath having a crime rate of 167 offences per 1000 people, the 60-year-old also fought back against claims of crime being bad in the area, though he admitted he no longer lives in the suburb.
‘You get trouble anywhere, it’s London. I think it’s better than it was around 10 years ago to be honest.
‘Back then we had to get panic alarms installed on the doors because we used to get trouble by people who frankly should have been in mental institutions really. But you don’t tend to get so much of that now.’
The boom of newcomers in Thornton Heath has also benefitted its vast array of fresh food shops.
Vallin Lloyd, 63, has worked in Cornfield Bakery for 19 years and says the constant influx of people in the area is what ‘keeps them going’.
Vallin Lloyd, 63, has worked in Cornfield Bakery for 19 years and says the constant influx of people in the area is what ‘keeps them going’
The high street features a fishmonger named ‘One Pound Fish’
He said: ‘There’s been a lot of changes since I’ve been here. Some of the businesses close down, new ones open and it’s the same for people.
‘We get new customers a lot, so everything keeps spinning and that’s what keeps us going.
‘I can’t complain about living here. It’s very nice and the people are friendly. I’ve never had any trouble personally.’
The area, which ranges in its styles of housing, is notorious for its Victorian buildings such as St Paul’s Church and St Alban’s Anglican.
Further afield, in the north of Thornton Heath, there is an area which local estate agents dubbed ‘Americaland’.
The area is notorious for its Victorian buildings such as St Paul’s Church (pictured)
St Alban’s Anglican (pictured) is another attraction
Its streets comprise of Maryland Road, Virginia Road, Florida Road and California Road and their properties fetch for closer to the £1million mark.
Souzana Angelova, 45, who lives the shadows of ‘Americaland’, says she is in fear at the levels of knife crime in her daughter’s school.
She said: ‘When I first moved here it was not good. But now I feel the community protects us.
‘In England generally knives are a big problem and children always seem to be fighting.
Souzana Angelova, 45, who lives the shadows of ‘Americaland’, says she is in fear at the levels of knife crime in her daughter’s school
‘My daughter is 14 years old, and inside her school there are knives and vapes. I can’t protect her when she’s inside school.
‘She’s really smart and I tell her that she needs to avoid fights. But one day my husband was at home and received a call from the police that my daughter had been in a fight with a bigger girl. I had no idea what was happened, I was working.
Mrs Angelova added that she sometimes hears people questioning her choice to live in Thornton Heath.
She added: ‘My son works at London Bridge and when he tells people where he lives they say “wow, really?” but there are good people here. I believe that.’
