IT once boasted a proud, bustling high street – today, even the pound shops are boarded up.
Now, on top of problems with violent crime, drugs and homelessness, residents of Chatham have told how they are skipping meals and wrapping up in curtains to stay warm amid the cost of living crisis.
In a terrifying attack in May, shoppers in the rundown Kent town were left fleeing for their lives as a hooded machete thug slashed a rival in broad daylight – before being thrown to the floor and kicked by six men.
The chilling incident, which went viral on social media and led to seven arrests, lays bare the social unrest plaguing Chatham, which has a 34 per cent higher crime rate than the national average.
Many locals told The Sun they weren't surprised at the scenes because "streetfights happen daily" and some are “too scared” to go shopping.
“If I had money, I’d leave this place. It’s definitely not safe for kids,” says carpenter Martin Feri, 37, while cradling his son and daughter.
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It’s worlds apart from life at The Historic Dockyard, just two miles away, where Hollywood camera crews descended to shoot two James Bond flicks, Les Miserables and Sherlock Holmes.
The Crown, Bridgerton and Call The Midwife also filmed there,unaware of the drunks, yobs and petty thieves that roam the dilapidated high street down the road.
'Drunks everywhere'
On one of the hottest days of the year, two men men are inhaling super-strength beer at 10am.
Nearby, a bearded homeless man collapses in a heavily graffitied doorway and a shadowy figure wanders the street with a bag of knock-off perfumes and fake Apple EarPods he’s trying to flog.
“Chatham’s changed badly over the years. I used to get excited to come here as a kid but now I barely come unless I have to,” says gardener Peter Hassan.
The 44-year-old mourns the days when Debenhams and M&S were the gems of a thriving shopping district where families could while away the hours in peace.
“You can see the state of it, all the good shops are gone,” he said. “It’s not nice here. I took my kids to see a pantomime and when we left, there were drunks everywhere.”
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10School cleaner Jacquie Colyer, 65, and her 89-year-old mum Dorothy Fowler say the “best shop is Primark now” after retail giants closed due to high rents and ever-falling footfall.
“This used to be a town with history, but that's been forgotten. It’s gone downhill and looks scruffy,” Jacquie adds.
“There’s so much litter and chewing gum on the streets and there's nothing here apart from lots of tanning and nail shops, which we already have enough of.”
'Bottle-lobbing kids'
Nationally high street footfall has continued to fall since 2012, but Chatham locals insist there are other factors behind their town's decline.
"Gangs of kids trying to have a laugh throw food and bottles at people, there have been a lot of fights," one resident who didn't want to be named said.
"There was that recent attack with the knife, when there were chairs being thrown at passersby – it’s not been the nicest place at times and it seems to be getting worse."
Raman Bajha, 29, who’s worked at Mega-Fone repair shop for nine years, says many are "dangerous" drug addicts.
“The problem is a mixture of the homeless and the youngsters, there are arguments, shouting and screaming every day and then there was that machete fight,” he said.
“Something needs to be done soon because people will move away, why will people stay? I have a son and I don’t want him to grow up here. It’s too dangerous.”
Shoplifting 'crippling' businesses
Raman faces claims cash-strapped locals try to shoplift at least three times a week and at times it “happens every day”.
“You have to keep an eye on people, even the young kids because if they don’t have money they will steal and we have to confront them,” he said.
Raman says his shop isn't the only one blighted by thieves and claims The Pentagon Shopping Centre had to hire more security guards to combat the crime.
It’s getting increasingly hard for businesses like Mega-Fone to stay afloat due to rising bills and now he claims customers are refusing to pay for repairs.
"I have to offer discounts because they say they don't have enough money – despite me telling them how much it would cost before I started the job," Raman vented.
The high street's only fishmonger, Kent Quality Fish, is also feeling the pinch and has just one year to make a significant profit or they will be forced to close permanently.
'I skip meals to feed my daughter'
The cost of living crisis has crippled many families in Chatham – an area that was already struggling before the pandemic and recent economic challenges.
In 2019, the ONS listed it as the most deprived ward in Kent due to having the highest concentration of people living in poverty, who were earning a ‘below average’ income.
Barista Rebecca Ryan, 26, is mum to one-year-old Maya-Jane. She believes she's among countless parents across the country who have to “skip meals” to pay soaring utility bills.
She’s amassed £10,000 of debt already and while she continues to “chip away at it” she knows it’s “going to get a lot worse”.
“It’s getting unbearable, it was hard enough to live before prices went up but now it’s unachievable,” says the mum-of-one.
“We’re rapidly getting into debt because of energy bills that we can’t pay off. Somedays I’m missing meals so that my daughter can have food.”
Last month alone Rebecca’s electric bill rose from £60 to £160 and now she's switched off her boiler and every electricity plug socket in her home.
“It’s heartbreaking," she added. "I wake up and literally count the pennies to see if we can get a food shop or if I have to pay the electric bill and go without food.
“We’ve received threatening letters from debt collectors and I have to ring companies every week to explain I’m paying all I can and am starving myself to do it.”
Father-of-two Martin Feri has faced similar issues and has resorted to taking on more jobs. Currently, he works 16 hours a day, six or seven days a week.
“It’s hard around here," the carpenter said. "I don’t normally have any days off at all but I want to spend time with my kids, I’m struggling for them."
'We feed 12,500 a month but can't keep up'
One lifeline available to those in Chatham is Gillingham Street Angels, a charity which started out helping the homeless before expanding to everyone.
Founder Neil Charlick said: “We can’t keep up with the numbers. We’re currently feeding 12,500 people a month and can’t see this ending any time soon.”
NHS workers, teachers and people from all walks of life use their services, which also include giving away furniture, kitchen equipment, clothing and school uniforms.
“It’s heartbreaking work. One gentleman told me he took down his curtains and wrapped himself up because he was so cold,” Neil said.
Volunteer Debbie Brooks, 36, relied on the charity’s food bank last year when she couldn’t afford to pay her electric bills and buy food at the same time.
“I was embarrassed to come here at first but there should be no stigma, there’s no set person using us – it’s the homeless people, families and everyone,” the mum-of-three said.
Neil, who used to be homeless, believes offering food and items to people in need could “help to reduce crime” too.
“If we give people things for free they won’t need to shoplift,” he said. “Desperate people will do desperate things to feed their family.”
'Dangerous to go outside'
Despite Neil’s efforts, Chatham remains a crime hotspot and was in the top 20 most dangerous major towns in the UK last year.
More than than 9,300 crimes were committed – an average of 116 offences per 1,000 people – and more than half were violent or sexual attacks.
One of the most notorious streets is Luton Road, which residents insist has a “strong community spirit” but boasts no shortage of horror stories either.
In a 2011 incident which still shocks residents today, Danai Muhammadi set fire to his ex-partner Melissa Crook's family home – killing her, her father and their 15-month-old son Noah.
In a separate incident three years later, the body of Harjit Chaggar, 69, was found in the basement of a local food store.
Mohammed Islam, 28, and Murshed Miah, 38, were convicted of murder after throwing Harjit down the stairs and leaving her to bleed to death for up to six hours.
Tony Barber, 37, was called as a witness in the case and says it's among a plethora of horrific crimes to have happened in the area.
“Luton Road is notorious for most criminal activities. It could be weapons, drugs, the sex trade or people trying to fight you because they are drunk,” he said.
“You see people doing drugs on the street and kids getting drunk because there’s nothing else for them to do. I feel sorry for them but they do cause trouble.
“They are ruining the community because people are too scared to say anything in case they get jumped, robbed or stabbed. We need to send them to military bootcamps!”
Another issue plaguing the area is flytipping. Black bin bags pile high on top of mattresses, broken chairs, dirty bedding and even old tyres.
Locals believe it happens because there are no signs or bins, and some people “know they can get away with it”.
Cain Beech, 23, no longer recognises his hometown due to the litter and criminality – and adds: “Fights and arguments are a day-to-day occurrence. You’re surprised if you see nothing!”
Shopkeeper Rajah Singh, 54, admits he “doesn’t feel safe after dark” and blames the drinking and drug use “on a lack of culture, education and family life”.
But Tom Jones, 27, downplays Luton Road’s problems, insisting “it’s just kids being kids” and they are doing “what everyone did growing up”.
He claims Chatham and the street has been tarnished unfairly, but at the same time, laughs while admitting he loves seeing the chaos unfold.
Tom said: “It’s brilliant living around here, it’s always entertaining watching it all.
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“I’ve lived here all my life and there’s always that one kid who’s a little brat, but it’s not everyone, others help the elders and the community.
“It’s just your typical estate where boys are being boys – it’s nothing like the gangs you get in London and at least everyone looks out for each other here.”
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