'It's the town of the Damned': Residents living in 'hell hole' town plagued by drugs, gangs and unemployment compare it to the 'Wild West' where desperate locals are 'deserting' as quickly as they can

EXCLUSIVE: Locals in Tilbury, Essex described the area as 'very dangerous' Gangs of youths run-riot and open drug taking plagues the historic dock town Tilbury crime rate is 127 crimes per 1,000 people, the average for Britain is 75.8

Residents who live in a ‘hell hole’ town plagued by drugs, gangs and unemployment have compared it to the ‘Wild West’.

Tilbury in Essex has been described as ‘the town of the damned’ by desperate locals who say neighbours are ‘deserting’ as quickly as they can.

Crime sprees, shoplifting, drug taking and dealing, empty shops and little work opportunities are some of the reasons people are fleeing the historic dock town on the River Thames.

Shops are targeted daily, gangs of youths run-riot and open drug taking plagues the area, fed-up residents explained.

One man told MailOnline: ‘It’s hell. It’s very dangerous. Every week somebody comes in here. It’s very bad. People are giving-up. It’s like the Wild West. It’s a free for all. There’s no respect.

The historic dock town of Tilbury in Essex (pictured) has been described as ‘hell’ by locals

Shops are targeted daily, gangs of youths run-riot and open drug taking plagues the area, fed-up residents told MailOnline  (pictured, closed shops in the town)

In waste ground opposite one housing estate in Tilbury, several ponies roam free (pictured)

MailOnline saw numerous examples of fly tipping around roads in the town on the Thames

This comes after a Youtuber documented their experience of the place, saying: ‘The whole town feels unwelcoming and has an air of violence to it’, before dubbing it the worst place to live in Essex.

The channel – Turdtowns – explores some of the UK’s most overlooked areas and ranked Tilbury the worst out of seven in the county.

Crime data backs up the claim, showing it is the most dangerous small town in Essex.

Overall the crime rate was 127 crimes per 1,000 people, – which is 53 per cent higher than the Essex rate of 83. The average for Britain is 75.8.

Yogan Kumaran, 51, runs Moylers convenience store, which he said is targeted several times a week.

The manager has even had to install a protective window and door around the counter to keep thieves and robbers away.

He said: ‘It’s hell. It’s very dangerous. Every week somebody comes in here. It’s very bad. People are giving-up. It’s like the Wild West. It’s a free for all. There’s no respect.

‘Most people around here do not work. They are not contributing. The whole area is so run down so people just think they can do what they want and take what they want.

Graffiti is daubed on a sign welcoming visitors into the town and warning of the speed limit

Some described Tilbury as the ‘town of the damned’ – a reference to the 1995 horror film Village of the Damned (pictured, rubble is puled high on a building site)

Tilbury is primarily known for the port (pictured), the largest port on the Thames spanning around 1,000 acres

A shuttered-up shop with graffiti sprayed on it advertises fireworks for 2016 in Tilbury

‘There is no authority. People just have their benefits and then take what they like.

‘I try to work hard and provide a service. Not everyone is like that but many are.’

Mr Kumaran, who has run the store for eight years, said the problem has got worse in recent months.

He added: ‘There’s zero respect, zero police. The whole area looks depressing. So why would people treat it with respect?

‘It’s appalling. I am sure it is the worst place in Essex and maybe the country.’

Tilbury is primarily known for the Port of Tilbury, the largest port on the Thames spanning around 1000 acres.

The town was built around it and still operates largely off of the business that this brings in.

However it has also been a key entry way for drugs to be smuggled into the country. In 2019 a worker at the port was imprisoned for 14 years for attempting to smuggle £114 million worth of cocaine into the UK.

Abul Amah, who runs another store that sell household essentials, said people are ‘constantly high as a kite’.

The 58-year-old said: ‘Drugs are rife here, Both taking and dealing. It is like the place that time forgot. Trying to run a business here is a nightmare. It’s dead. There’s no life.

Yogan Kumaran (pictured), 51, runs Moylers convenience store, which he said is targeted several times a week

The town was built around the Port and still operates largely off of the business that it brings in

Mr Kumaran claimed: ‘There is no authority. People just have their benefits and then take what they like (pictured, an estate in Tilbury)

Around the area there are numerous shut shops and several closed down pubs – with no sign of anything replacing them

Overall the crime rate was 127 crimes per 1,000 people in Tilbury – the average for Britain is 75.8 (pictured, tower blocks rise above a nearby estate with Tilbury docks in the distance)

‘So many people just walk around stoned. They don’t think there’s anything else to do. It’s all pointless. It’s terrible. Nobody respects it. So there is no chance they would respect my shop.’

In 2022 West Disruptor drugs team seized more than £850,000 worth of drugs from south and west Essex, including at properties in Tilbury.

He added: ‘It’s 11am and I have made £20. There are barely any customers. Youths are always in here stealing. People are not at work.

‘Apart from the port, there’s no local economy here. People are deserting and getting out of here. There’s nothing really to stay for.’

Around the area there are numerous shut shops and several closed down pubs – with no sign of anything replacing them.

Martin Ruthwell, 44, has lived in Tilbury for 30 years and said it was the worst it has ever been.

He referred to it as the ‘town of the damned’ – in a reference to the 1995 horror film Village of the Damned, about a group of unfriendly and alien children who terrorise the area with sinister and unfriendly personalities.

The plumber said: ‘It’s very depressing. There’s no real motivation to live or work here.

‘I cannot see why anybody would move into the area. I am here because I am a creature of habit.

‘It’s surrounded by industry and the port and turbines. But nothing actually in the town. It’s like the town of the damned.’

In waste ground opposite one housing estate, several ponies roam free.

One local living opposite said: ‘It’s all very sad really. We moved here out of south east London wanting to better ourselves thinking we were coming into Essex and it is a lot worse.

‘We see a lot of drug activity. It’s not safe.’

But retired print worker Jim Bennett, 75, launched a defence of the area: ‘What do people expect, Las Vegas? It’s ok here.

‘I’m from the east end and I am pretty content here. It’s peaceful. I go about my business as I like and nobody harms me or causes me problems.’

Tilbury is among 101 UK towns set for a new ‘Town Deal’, which could see up to £25 million pumped into the area for improvements.

The government’s scheme is a £3.6 billion fund to invest and improve these regional towns.

The Tilbury Fort has also brought tourism to the area, originally built by Henry VIII, but later became the place where Elizabeth I gave her famous speech to the soldiers in the war against the Spanish Armada.

Like on many estates in the town seen by MailOnline, fly tipping blights the roads

Tilbury is among 101 UK towns set for a new ‘Town Deal’, which could see up to £25 million pumped into the area for improvements

Essex towns voted better than Tilbury were Jaywick, Basildon, Harlow, Clacton, Grays and Southend (pictured, rubbish dumped on a housing estate)

The fort has been named as possibly the finest example of a bastioned 17th Century artillery fortress in the British Isles.

Other Essex towns voted better than Tilbury were Jaywick, Basildon, Harlow, Clacton, Grays and Southend.

The YouTuber said: ‘I’d love to see the cast of The Only ways Essex walk down the street here – they might struggle to manage that though, as the street is filled with potholes.’

He added: ‘Here you cannot even find one pub because every time one opens, it closes after getting raided for drugs. You won’t find a proper shop here either, and the skyline is instead dominated by the giant Amazon factory, perhaps a sign of modern times.’

The video concluded: ‘Between the stink of the Thames, the billowing factories, the miserable souls that are trapped here and the most unsafe-feeling place I’ve ever visited, Tilbury takes the cake.

‘A really intimidating and miserable place. I’d rather be in Jaywick, and that’s saying something.’