A city centre which has witnessed a recent murder in a bank and a brazen shop robbery both in broad daylight has left some people too terrified to visit.
As police officers patrol the streets of Derby after the shocking crimes just weeks ago, one worried mother said: ‘It makes you fearful to come here but whenever I do I make sure the kids are close by my side.’
The mum-of-three, 34, told how the East Midlands city, where she has lived since the age of three, has got a ‘lot worse over he past years’ and is ‘very scary.’
She said: ‘If I never had to set foot here again I’d be happy but I need to come shopping here at times.’
The mother, who declined to be named, told of her ‘absolute shock and horror’ at the brutal stabbing to death of a businessman in Lloyds Bank in busy St Peter’s Street and masked robbers smashing a pawnbrokers with crowds gathering and watching on helplessly.
Both happened within the space of weeks, in afternoon daylight, and in the same busy road in the heart of the city which has now stepped up its police patrols.
The mum told the Daily Mail: ‘It is sickening and absolutely terrifying that crimes like this can happen in a packed area with people out shopping and going about their business.’
Following the latest crimewave, a leading coffee chain has closed its premises in a spot which overlooked the bank and Ramsdens pawn and jewellery shop.
The sudden closure of the popular Costa cafe has prompted the leader of Derby Conservatives Steve Hassall to warn that the shutting down of a huge brand on such a busy street ‘should serve as a flashing red warning light to the council and police’.
When our team visited the street of shame in the shadow of architecturally stunning St Peter’s Church, we witnessed groups of males and females, of mixed ages, in a seated concrete area outside NatWest bank drinking and seemingly doing drugs.
A shopper, shaking her head, remarked: ‘They look boozed and drugged up, and spaced out. Whatever they’re on they should not be doing it in public. It’s anti social and any law abiding people find that behaviour offensive and intimidating.’
One young man, bare-chested and tattooed, and wearing just shorts and sliders and a telltale black ankle tag, ran off down the street when he saw two police officers walking towards his group.
The lad, it would appear, may be a recently released offender as he sported a tag on his right ankle, a monitoring device used to track individuals under various court orders and on licence from prison sentences.
We saw cops patrolling St Peter’s Street – the main route from the top of the city centre to the bottom and near the Derbion Shopping Centre.
An officer seized alcoholic drinks from one of the group.
A marked police van with ‘Derbyshire Action Against Anti-Social Behaviour’ was parked glaringly in the street.
The mum, strolling down the street pushing her nearly six-month-old baby girl in her pram and making sure her two sons, aged 10 and seven, did not wander away, said: ‘There’s so much going off here and you don’t want to bring your kids in but I need to buy then new school uniform for September so they have to come shopping with me.
‘It’s not the down and outs, drinkers and rough sleepers causing trouble. It’s mainly the teens who are bored witless because there is absolutely nothing for them to do, no clubs and groups to go to.
‘A lot of druggies and alcoholics hang around St Peter’s and they’re moved off by police but then return.
‘There’s little police presence during the day and have no idea if it’s any better at night because I wouldn’t risk coming into town in an evening.
‘I used to come clubbing here but would never now as it doesn’t feel safe.’
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has intervened after a plea from the local council and has pledged to beef up policing in the city centre, pledging Derbyshire Constabulary funding to provide an extra 35 officers to help combat anti-social behaviour.
Close pals Janet Kerry and Kirstie Walker, who were catching up over a coffee ‘well away’ from St Peter’s Street – ‘an area we avoid’ – told how their city had sadly gone downhill.
Grandmother and mum-of-two Ms Kerry, 52, said: ‘It’s got worse over the years and with a recent murder in a bank and a robbery happening in the middle of the day it puts you off wanting to be here.
‘We come up to the cathedral end of town which is quite and feels safer.
‘If we ever come out for a girls’ night we’d meet at a certain place then all get in a taxi back home and never walk to get public transport.
‘I have a 26-year-old daughter and whenever she comes out I worry about her and I have a location app on my mobile to check on her. And despite my age she worries about me as much.
‘It is the way Derby makes you feel, and maybe society in general.’
Ms Walker, 54, said the police presence in the city centre was very up and down, saying: ‘One time there’s no cops around then another time you’ll see a few community support officers who have no power to arrest.
‘On the break-in at the pawnbroker’s, which was videoed by shoppers watching on helplessly, you could hear one saying: “Where are the police when you need them!”.’
Charity Mugido, a religion helper who with her team had been handing out leaflets promoting the Christ Embassy Church in Derby, said she was shocked by the murder of a businessman in a bank.
She told the Daily Mail: ‘It was so horrific, it happened in bad daylight in a bank, and it shows some people no longer respect one another.
‘It frightens some people away. They no longer want to come into the city centre, particularly the elderly and vulnerable because they don’t know what could happen.
‘I was so surprised to see Costa Coffee close down. I don’t know if it because there is too much crime but it is very unfortunate.’
As our team strolled around, passing a closed down sandwich shop Pound bakery with smashed windows, a St Peter’s Quarter Derby Ranger Ian Rollett, who represents local businesses, said the city was trying to ‘get better’.
He said: ‘Yes, there is open drug use and drinking and we are clamping down on it with the police and council.
‘People are complaining they’re being driven away by crime but look, it’s not a ghost town, it’s heaving!
‘There are a group of people who hang around St Peter’s and they drink and there is open drug use but they’re not bad people, they are having a rough time.
‘We call them “nominals” – people loitering around the city – and some are homeless but we try to get them into hostel and B&Bs.
‘We spend time talking to them, trying to engage and help them.’
Referring to the recent Costa closure, Mr Rollett said the coffee shop had not been driven out by crime but had left because the landlord of the prestigious premises – which he said can achieve half a million pounds rent a year – had asked them to move.
He said the Halifax – which shared the building – would be amalgamating with Lloyds bank across the street over the coming months and moving into their location.
Mr Rollet insisted: ‘Costa didn’t want to close but had no choice as their rental lease was up and the landlord wouldn’t extend it, as they had wanted until at least Christmas.
‘It had nothing to do with crime and anti-social behaviour here, and the people struggling, the nominals, would always use it for a hot drink so they’re sorry to see it go.’
Businessman and father Gurvinder Singh Johal 37, was stabbed to death inside Lloyds Bank on May 6.
A worker at the bank, who lives locally, declined to discuss the brutal murder but insisted: ‘Derby is a lovely place but there are just issues with some people.
‘There is drinking, begging and anti social behaviour and people flogging dodgy merchandise. They are arrested then others continue doing it.’
The man added: ‘Police move the anti-social mob on and then they return and it is frightening some visitors to town away, particularly the elderly.
‘The trouble has nothing to do with the asylum seekers living here, they are all busy working and cycling around delivering Uber Eats.’
The manager of Ramsdens across from the bank, which was broken into on July 14 by three men, declined to discuss the incident.
Other businesses were also unhappy to speak out, although one boss of a furnace store admitted: ‘Some people are too scared to come into time because the crime is getting worse.
‘There is a police presence at times but not nearly enough.’
On Thursday, Haybe Cabdiraxmaan Nur, 47, from Derby pleaded guilty to the murder of restaurant owner Mr Johal, known as Danny, at Lloyds Bank.
The killer is due to be sentenced on October 29 at Derby Crown Court.
The victim, who owned and ran the Hen and Chickens Bar and Grill restaurant in Shelton Lock, had been taking his restaurant earnings to the bank when he was attacked in broad daylight, friends said.
Detective Inspector Tony Owen, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: ‘I am pleased that Mr Johal’s family will not have to sit through a trial now that Nur has admitted this offence.
‘I’d like to thank them for their support throughout and my thoughts, and those of all the team, remain with them.’
Janine McKinney from Crown Prosecution Service East Midlands, said: ‘This was a truly shocking crime, committed in broad daylight in a busy city centre bank.
‘While the whole community has been affected by this happening in their midst, our thoughts and profound sympathies are with Mr Johal’s family, friends and loved ones.
‘They have had a much-loved husband, father and son snatched from them by this senseless crime.’
In a tribute, Ajit Atwal, leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Derby City Council, who knew the victim, said: ‘He was a good businessman and nothing was ever too much trouble for him.
‘He was humble, quiet and a kind guy and would always go above and beyond for everyone. His family are devastated and cannot understand what has happened.’
Lloyds Bank has announced that it is closing for a month from August 29 to September 25 for refurbishment – unrelated to the horrific murder – and is urging customers to visit another Derby branch.
Their sister bank Halifax which shared a rented building with Costa is being relocated to their premises across the street.
The Daily Mail has learned that the closure of Costa is due to a ‘greedy landlord booting out the coffee shop’ as it hopes to sell the whole huge three-story building which the bank once used as offices too and can be re-rented out.
The premises are already under offer.
Steve Hassall, Derby City Council, opposite Conservative group leader told his local newspaper: ‘When a national brand like Costa pulls out of what is supposed to be Derby’s main shopping street, it’s not just about footfall, it’s about fear, frustration and a complete lack of confidence in the authorities to get a grip.
‘This closure reflects what many of us already know: people no longer feel safe in the city centre.
‘Businesses are suffering. Residents are anxious. And the response from those in charge has been weak, inconsistent and laced with mixed messages.’
Labour city council leader Nadine Peatfield recently contacted Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in response to recent incidents, after telling a full council meeting that she was going to request more police officers to serve the city.
Ms Cooper responded by making a special visit to Derby and promising funding to give Derbyshire Constabulary an extra 35 officers to combat anti-social behaviour.
In a letter, Councillor Peatfield wrote: ‘Recently you announced Derbyshire would receive 35 new police officers, for which we are very grateful.
‘However, once they are spread across the county, I am concerned that Derby city centre won’t see the impact of this increase.
‘Too often our small but highly dedicated SNT (Safer Neighbourhood Team) city centre officers are pulled away from patrols to deal with emergency calls because we don’t have enough officers to cover the entire city, let alone the high street.
‘PCSOs (Police Community Support Officers) are scarce because so many have been recruited to step up to policing.’
One businessman said: ‘The murder in the bank was the final straw and is driving shoppers away and the footfall will continue to decline.
‘What are the council and police edging about the escalating crime rate? Not a lot so other businesses will leave the street. There are so many difficulties.’
Another business owner said: ‘The homeless situation is dangerous. Staff are often here by themselves and we need to make sure the doors are locked whenever that is the case. Every day we see homeless people gathering on the street, and the drug problem is just awful.
‘We see drug deals across the road all the time. In fact, I’ve had police sitting in my shop watching and waiting for drug deals. It’s that much of a problem.
‘All the council seem to do is make it impossible for people to park and they’ve carried out unnecessary roadworks that have disrupted business.
‘I know people who live between Derby and Burton, and I know for a fact that they would rather shop in Burton most of the time, mostly because it’s so easy to park. But the crime is the main issue that needs fixing.’
Satnan Shanan, owner of The Sandwich Shop in St Peter’s Churchyard, just a stone’s throw from the troubled part of the city, said he doesn’t blame Costa ‘for getting rid of the store’ adding that, from a business perspective, the ‘area is dead’.
A Derby City Council spokesman said: ‘Of course we are disappointed to see any business close, but while Costa have taken the decision to stop trading from the St Peter’s Street site, this does not mean they have left the city altogether.’
