A beautiful cathedral city in West Yorkshire has reportedly turned into a hive of “lawlessness”, with locals driven away by drug taking, aggressive begging and anti-social behaviour. While Wakefield has historically been renowned for its rich culture and architectural heritage, the once-serene city centre has allegedly become a “no-go area” for residents. Besides disincentivising visits from day-trippers keen to explore its 15th-century cathedral, this situation has made locals afraid to venture into certain areas, The Sun reports, with “only the bravest” holidaymakers daring to spend their breaks there.

A major issue has been the rise of drug addicts gathering on benches in central Wakefield “from dusk till dawn”, locals said, with criminals openly drinking alcohol, playing loud music and aggressively asking passersby for money. It was alleged that drug dealers were even using the city’s BT street hub – designed for emergency 999 calls – to facilitate handovers.

DON’T MISS

Powered by 

Skydiver’s partner ‘raced across the fields’ after watching helplessly as she fell

Comments

Ed Miliband given alert on net zero by nuclear scientist – ‘talk about something else’

Comments

The prison near posh UK town where inmates do yoga and paint mugs

Comments

Migrant drug addict with 42 convictions can’t be deported due to ‘mental struggle’

Comments

Moment ‘feral’ Brit ‘tried to attack passenger’ on Ibiza Jet2 flight

Comments

‘I’m a GP receptionist – this is how to beat the appointment scramble’

Comments

UK drivers urged to keep 1 weird household item in glove box for emergencies

Comments

Alan Titchmarsh names his favourite UK staycation hotspot with incredible beach

Comments

Search underway as person goes overboard from UK ferry

Comments

House in UK city goes up for sale for £1 – but there’s one huge catch

Comments

The incredible UK castle where Harry Potter, Downton Abbey and Transformers were filmed

Comments

Question Time must ask itself two things that will haunt BBC and Fiona Bruce

Comments

Rachel Reeves’ £5bn gamble that’s forced billionaires to leave Britain

Comments

Police rush to Luton Airport as ‘car drives off multi-storey car park’ in holiday horror

Comments

French cop’s infuriating 2-word response as he ‘watches migrants nearly drown’

Comments

Indian GMB star shares sadness over India plane crash and fans agree with her

Comments

I visited a once-thriving UK town – what I saw 10 minutes after arriving shocked me

Comments

Fears more could die as 8 killed by poison in major UK city

Comments

MPs to debate scrapping fines for taking children on term-time holidays

Comments

Doctors urged to strike despite pay bumb as BMA hit by ‘Corbynista’ row

Comments

Skydiver’s partner ‘raced across the fields’ after watching helplessly as she fell

Comments

Ed Miliband given alert on net zero by nuclear scientist – ‘talk about something else’

Comments

The prison near posh UK town where inmates do yoga and paint mugs

Comments

Migrant drug addict with 42 convictions can’t be deported due to ‘mental struggle’

Comments

Moment ‘feral’ Brit ‘tried to attack passenger’ on Ibiza Jet2 flight

Comments

‘I’m a GP receptionist – this is how to beat the appointment scramble’

Comments

UK drivers urged to keep 1 weird household item in glove box for emergencies

Comments

Alan Titchmarsh names his favourite UK staycation hotspot with incredible beach

Comments

Search underway as person goes overboard from UK ferry

Comments

House in UK city goes up for sale for £1 – but there’s one huge catch

Comments

The incredible UK castle where Harry Potter, Downton Abbey and Transformers were filmed

Comments

Question Time must ask itself two things that will haunt BBC and Fiona Bruce

Comments

Rachel Reeves’ £5bn gamble that’s forced billionaires to leave Britain

Comments

Police rush to Luton Airport as ‘car drives off multi-storey car park’ in holiday horror

Comments

French cop’s infuriating 2-word response as he ‘watches migrants nearly drown’

Comments

Indian GMB star shares sadness over India plane crash and fans agree with her

Comments

I visited a once-thriving UK town – what I saw 10 minutes after arriving shocked me

Comments

Fears more could die as 8 killed by poison in major UK city

Comments

MPs to debate scrapping fines for taking children on term-time holidays

Comments

Doctors urged to strike despite pay bumb as BMA hit by ‘Corbynista’ row

Comments

Skydiver’s partner ‘raced across the fields’ after watching helplessly as she fell

Comments

Ed Miliband given alert on net zero by nuclear scientist – ‘talk about something else’

Comments

The prison near posh UK town where inmates do yoga and paint mugs

Comments

Migrant drug addict with 42 convictions can’t be deported due to ‘mental struggle’

Comments

Moment ‘feral’ Brit ‘tried to attack passenger’ on Ibiza Jet2 flight

Comments

‘I’m a GP receptionist – this is how to beat the appointment scramble’

Comments

UK drivers urged to keep 1 weird household item in glove box for emergencies

Comments

“They are a scurge on this beautiful city,” one market holder said. “They turn up in the morning, when they are quite loud, then come back at midday.

“After taking their drugs, they have a bit of a siesta – a lull when they are out of it. Then they are back to being a proper nuisance around teatime.”

“They use the BT hub to order their deals – you can hear them asking for £50 bags or £30 deals,” the anonymous trader claimed.

“They are over there taking drugs everyday, and over here stealing our goods everyday. You can’t touch them,” Janet Murray, 64, who works in a bakery near the cathedral, added.

“They come in and blatantly help themselves to what they want, saying ‘I’m hungry’,” she added. “That is all you get out of them, and then they walk out without paying.”

She also claimed: “There’s no point calling the police – they’re not going to do anything, not for a couple of packs of sandwiches. But when they are stealing everyday, all week, it adds up. And I’m working for my money.”

Wakefield Council and West Yorkshire Police joined forces to launch an anti-social behaviour task force in the city last month, which includes introducing more neighbourhood patrols and reviewing Public Space Protection Orders to give authorities more power over aggressive begging, substance misuse and anti-social behaviour.

Council leader Denise Jeffrey said: “More police on our streets has been a key ambition of our partnership work to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.

“We’ll continue to use the full extent of the law when we need to, building on our track record in 2024-25 where we successfully applied for 32 criminal behaviour orders, had four Public Spaces Protection Orders in place and issued 164 fixed penalty notices for anti-social and nuisance behaviour.”

The Express has contacted Wakefield Metropolitan District Council and West Yorkshire Police for comment.