A lovely little seaside town in South Tyneside is reportedly buckling under the weight of anti-social behaviour.

As per the South Tyneside Council: “South Tyneside is one of the most deprived communities in the country. A third of South Tyneside neighbourhoods are in the top 10 per cent of most deprived areas nationally.”

According to damning council data, approximately 39% of children in the South Tyneside region were living in poverty between 2020 to 2021. In fact, the child poverty crisis in the town was deemed so severe that the council had to announce a four-point plan in a desperate bid to reduce levels.

Naturally, these statistics have had considerable consequences, with reports of anti-social behaviour in the coastal town of South Shields on the rise in recent years.

South Shields welcomed around 60,000 elite and amateur athletes to the Great North Run over Sunday as the half marathon race concludes in the quaint seaside town in Tyne and Wear county. However, reports of anti-social behaviour plaguing the area is casting a shadow in the minds of local residents.

Speaking to The Sun, South Shields resident Steven Smith – who was a successful painter and decorator at one point, but is now a self-confessed alcoholic determinedly trying to get sober – shared: “Having the Great North Run is all well and good but the crime rate is diabolical. I got beat up just last night. It was for no reason at all. I was walking through the row of shops in the centre and I ended up in hospital. I woke up there.”

The publication spoke to him at the town’s transport intercharge, which has been dubbed “P***head Corner” owing to its popularity among boozers. The 42-year-old continued: “South Shields is getting worse for it. The town was given some money a while ago but it hasn’t been spent wisely.”

The self-confessed alcoholic shared he’s trying to ween himself off the drink and said he doesn’t take drugs. Recalling a recent incident, Steven spoke about how he was “walking around the corner” the other day and reportedly saw someone “smoking a crack pipe in front of kids”.

He believes the town’s younger population is at risk of devolving into the same trap of anti-social behaviour, as he recounted a recent instance of 13-14 year olds allegedly asking him to buy them drinks from a shop. “I told them I wasn’t going to do it. I don’t want to encourage anyone to drink. It ruins lives,” Steven shared.

Chloe Mycock, an ex-McDonald’s employee also spoke to The Sun and shared how she feels “alcoholism is a major issue” in the coastal town. Chloe said she faced abuse from locals while working for the fast food chain and felt unsafe popping outside on her break.

The now 21-year-old said: “I definitely would not feel safe coming out at night-time.”

Steven and Chloe’s concerns are echoed across social media, with instances of anti-social behaviour being highlighted across various platforms.

One X user, complaining to Tyne and Wear Metro, wrote: “@My_Metro T111 just left south gosforth towards south hylton/shields, two people on front seats very drunk with open cans of alcohol.”

While another X (formerly Twitter) user complained: “@My_Metro Nice to see the staff at South Shields let a bunch of drunk people just tailgate someone through the barriers at 7.40 this morning.”

A Reddit user, answering the question ‘Is South Shields safe to live as solo female for work?’, wrote about their own experience, sharing: “I moved from Newcastle to Shields almost three years ago, and I am not really a fan. If I was younger and not needing to be here for childcare, I’d have moved.

“It’s not that I don’t feel safe as such; I was brought up in a pretty insular community and it feels similar to that. There are some PoC, but the vast majority is white working class. I think there’s a major issue with youth anti-social behaviour.”

Another Reddit thread on the question ‘What areas around South Shields would you *really* not advise people to move to?’ saw one user advise: “Recently moved to Westoe, which is fine. I would personally avoid the immediate vicinity of Chichester metro, often a lot of antisocial behaviour there. I’ve heard Stanhope Road is a bit grim too but never been around there myself really.”

While another Redditor cautioned, “Scotch Estate is awful. Boarded up windows, sh*t bag central,” as one user chimed in, “I think this is technically Jarrow but yeah it’s rough as f**k. Even dogs walk around in gangs.”

Reports of growing anti-social behaviour aside, South Shields has many charming qualities and is frequently dubbed as a seaside must-visit. Boasting a nationally acclaimed fish and chip shop, its very own ‘curry mile,’ a beach previously hailed as ‘the best in the UK’, and a trendy bar owned by an international pop star, South Shields has everything you could want.

Just a stone’s throw from Newcastle, this coastal town is a traveller favourite in the summer months thanks to its stunning beaches – but it also offers attractions that can be enjoyed all year round, regardless of the weather.

As millions of telly viewers will have watched runners comeplete the Great North Run this morning, beyond the finish line in South Shields is art, history and a lively restaurant and bar scene.