People living in one of the most destitute areas of the UK have claimed it is a “ghost town” where too many shops have closed down.
Middlesborough was recently named the third most destitute area of the country in a study looking into the rising numbers of people in the UK who are unable to unable to meet basic needs to stay warm, dry, clean and fed.
Only Manchester and the London Borough of Newham had higher levels of destitution, the study conducted by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found.
And some people living in Middlesborough believe the empty shops are a key problem in the Teesside town.
Speaking to TeessideLive, shopkeepers Jean Young and June Fosse said: “Everyone says Middlesbrough is a ghost town. They’re shutting all the nice shops.”
The pair, who work at the PDSA charity shop, also believe people do not have the resources to go shopping and that “resources have to be spent on the police because of the crime levels”.
Pauline Carter said it felt like the town had no cafes and that more should be done to “bring the shops back”.
The teaching assistant added: “Everything has closed down. I don’t feel safe in Middlesbrough.
“It’s too risky. I only came to Middlesbrough today to pick up my granddaughter.”
Oludare Olowora, to moved to Middlesborough on a sponsored visa from Nigeria, believes the lack of job opportunities is another reason the town is facing destituiton.
He said: “There are no real jobs here. I have been here since 2021. I came from Nigeria to study for my masters degree. I’m not finding any work.”
A pensioner from the town, who declined to be named, added: “It’s a ghost town. They’ve closed too many shops.”
