Digbeth, the Birmingham district that gained fame thanks to the Peaky Blinders series, has come under fire. Locals claim that the area—once considered one of Britain’s trendiest—is now plagued by crime, vandalism, and litter, the Daily Mail reports.
Digbeth’s popularity surged following the October 2025 opening of a studio by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. Parts of the series and the film starring Cillian Murphy were shot there, and millions of pounds have been invested in the district’s development.
According to locals, the redevelopment has had mixed results: small businesses are leaving due to rising costs, and the streets are seeing more graffiti and illegal dumping. Vandals even damaged a mosaic of John F. Kennedy that had been installed in Birmingham in 1968.
Natalie Freeman, who works at the Custard Factory creative quarter, stated that Digbeth has become less safe at night. She noted that while graffiti was once viewed as street art, tags are now appearing almost everywhere.
Residents also link the deteriorating situation to crime. In 2022, 23-year-old footballer Cody Fisher and 41-year-old Chinese national Jinming Zhang were killed in Digbeth. A year earlier, 20-year-old Ashley Day suffered a fatal stabbing.
One man working in the area said he no longer allows his daughters to visit Birmingham city center.
Meanwhile, the crime situation in other parts of Britain is no better. It was previously reported that British prisons are overcrowded. As a result, the Ministry of Justice intends to expand the early release program.
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