Latest news with #Benwell
The Sun
3 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Our street is plagued by monster rats… we can't open our windows & are terrified they have rabies & will bite our kids
QUICK as a flash, Jennifer Colpitts dives to close the window her children have just opened. It's a scorching summer day, with the UK experiencing its first heatwave of the year, but the full-time mum, 40, can't take any chances. 12 12 12 Her family is one of many plagued by an army of monster rats "the size of cats" plaguing the back alley of Ellesmere Road in Benwell, Newcastle. Local residents are terrified of catching diseases from the huge rodents - believed to number well over 100 - roaming the streets and entering their homes. They're attracted to rubbish strewn across the alleyway, including rotten food, nappies and plastic bags, which residents say is caused by visitors from elsewhere raking through the bins and scattering debris on the floor in a never-ending cycle. Rats brazenly sprint across the lane and disappear into backyards - at one point our reporter spotted a gang of 10 gathering around one bin while one leapt into the air to dive into a pile of rotting waste. Jennifer told The Sun: "They are the size of cats. It's really worrying having kids. I can't let them play out in the street because of the rats. "The council clean up the rubbish but within an hour it's back to being a mess. "I can't open my kitchen window because they're on top of the bins trying to climb in. "I'm petrified. The kids open the window and I'm straight there shutting it again. They are horrible." Robert Colpitts, 62, who is unemployed, added: "Oh, God! There's loads of them, isn't there? "They are massive. One of them I saw had massive claws, big teeth and looked like it had rabies. My flat is infested with huge RATS as big as cats... my disabled son keeps eating their POO - the council won't help us "They are not bothered by you, they just look at you as if you're stupid. "You worry that when the kids come back saying they've hurt themselves that they've been bitten by a rat. I've seen nine today. "People rake through the bins looking for things. "I'm tempted to buy a gun and sit there and shoot the rats. It's not right, it's totally a disgrace." The rundown area consists of rows of terraced homes with back lanes in between each street. Large industrial bins are placed there, where locals collectively dump their rubbish. They are the size of cats. It's really worrying having kids. I can't let them play out in the street because of the rats Jennifer Colpitts Residents say the rodent infestation hit crisis point when shady figures started raiding their bins for clothes, food and personal documents overnight without putting unwanted items back. Now many of the bins are filled to the brim with rats jumping up to try to get in. Others have been set on fire and have food waste scattered around them on the floor. Out of hand Jade Shields, 29, a carer, said: "There were over 100 rats in the back lane on one day. "I filmed a 24-second clip and there were rats everywhere. I turned around and there was one right next to my feet, and I screamed and left. "It's revolting. It's been going on for a couple of years. Very recently, it's got out of hand. "Ellesmere Road is the worst street for it. You can see rats running across the street. "A man who lives in our street is constantly cleaning up and chasing people away who are trying to go through bins. "It's people from the area that are too lazy to take their rubbish out and are throwing it over the wall. The bags split open, or birds tear them open and it causes rats. "It's really bad. I'm scared in case it comes over to our street which is a few down. "One of my friends lived here for 20 years and he was chased out by rats. They bit a hole into his house and got in so he had to leave." 'Prisoner in own home' 12 12 12 12 Ray Bata, 30, a retail worker, added: "Local people dump unnecessary stuff in the back, they don't use their own bin. That's a real problem. "There are too many rats, there are loads. I have seen some massive rats. You see them every day at any time. "They don't only roam in the back, they come inside and damage things in the property. "There is a pungent smell at the back near the bins. We always keep the door shut so the rats don't come inside. "You are a prisoner in your own home. We had rats inside the home around three months ago." Aran Sared, 41, a takeaway manager, said: "The rats are the size of rabbits, they are huge. "We are scared of the rats coming into the home so we cannot open the back door. "The problem is getting worse and worse every day. I was growing vegetables in my garden but I had to throw them away because the rats got to them. "I have a newborn baby so I'm worried the rats will make her ill. "People rake through the bins and don't put anything back, which causes the issue. "I have seen them doing it when I get back from work at 2am and I confront them but they say they 'aren't from here' and look for trouble. "There is more than 100 rats on any day in the back lanes. "We used to have BBQs out the back with neighbours and the floor was so clean if you dropped it you could pick it up and throw it on the grill. Now it is a mess." Identity fraud 12 12 Jade added that local residents are now forced to burn or shred their personal documents before throwing them away because bin raiders are stealing them. She explained: "People go through the rubbish to find items. They try to find documents with your name on and commit identity fraud. "You have to set your documents alight before throwing it away so no-one uses your details. "People also go through the rubbish looking for clothes so they can sell them. "Because the back lanes are such a mess, people come here to fly tip as well. They think no-one will notice because of the state of the back lane." Clean-up attempt A Newcastle City Council spokesperson said: "Fly-tipping and bin misuse are criminal offences. This behaviour is unacceptable in Newcastle and offenders will be prosecuted. "We are committed to keeping Newcastle's streets clean and welcoming for everyone and while the vast majority of residents and businesses dispose of their waste responsibly, we continue to face challenges from a small minority who blight our neighbourhoods through fly-tipping and littering. "To address this, we've taken a number of proactive steps to improve cleanliness in the city's back lanes. These include increasing bin capacity, adjusting street sweeping schedules to ensure early morning cleaning, and working closely with local businesses to improve waste storage practices. "We've also identified issues such as 'bin raiding', where individuals rummage through bins, and improper waste disposal by some residents. "Our local services teams and enforcement officers are working together to tackle these environmental crimes to ensure our communities feel clean, safe, and respected. "Reducing anti-social behaviour and environmental crime remains one of our top priorities. "We need everyone - residents, businesses, and community organisations - to play their part by disposing of waste correctly and reporting any issues they see. "If you witness fly-tipping or traders misusing domestic bins, please report it by calling 0191 278 7878 and asking for 'Your Local Services', or by visiting our website at 12
BBC News
23-06-2025
- BBC News
Benwell explosion killer's sentence not too lenient
A man whose illegal cannabis factory exploded in a block of flats, killing a seven-year-old boy, will not have his sentence referred to the Court of Appeal over concerns it was too York died alongside 35-year-old Jason Laws when the blast caused by Reece Galbraith, 33, destroyed several homes in Benwell, Newcastle, in Newcastle Crown Court, Galbraith, of Gateshead, admitted two counts of manslaughter and was sentenced to 14 years Attorney General's Office (AGO) confirmed it had received a request to consider his jail term under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme but concluded the threshold was not met. Anyone can ask for a sentence to be reviewed, according to the courts service, but only certain types of cases can be, such as murder and manslaughter.A spokesperson for the AGO said while "no sentence could undo Reece Galbraith's appalling actions", the Solicitor General could only refer sentences to the Court of Appeal "where a judge made a gross error or imposed a sentence which resulted in an outcome which isn't just lenient but unduly so"."That threshold was not met in this case, despite the horrific consequences of Galbraith's conduct," they said. The explosion stemmed from a build-up of butane created in the process of making drug-infused sweets in one of the flats by Galbraith and Mr pair were using a ground-floor flat in the block of 12 homes on Violet Close to make the so-called cannabis shatter, the court as a "sophisticated" factory, it exploded at about 00:40 BST on 16 who lived upstairs with his parents and baby brother, had been asleep in the family's living mother, Katherine Errington, and seven-week-old brother, Finlay, were buried beneath bricks and debris and were pulled to safety by Archie's father, Robbie York. Galbraith, of Rectory Road, was found in the wreckage covered in severe burns and spent a month in a coma in well as the manslaughter charges, he pleaded guilty to producing and selling block of properties was later demolished, with dozens of people losing their homes and and costs to Newcastle City Council was valued at £3.7m, with 81 adults and 59 children from 51 homes displaced and 10 households having to be permanently rehoused. Follow BBC Newcastle on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
05-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Benwell explosion: Reece Galbraith's sentence reviewed
A man whose illegal cannabis factory exploded in a block of flats, killing a seven-year-old boy, is to have his 14-year jail sentence reviewed amid concerns it is too York died when the blast caused by Reece Galbraith, 33, destroyed several homes in Benwell, Newcastle, last Newcastle Crown Court, Galbraith, of Gateshead, admitted two counts of manslaughter which also killed 35-year-old James Attorney General's Office confirmed it had received a request to consider his jail term under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme (ULS) and said a decision on whether to send it to the Court of Appeal "will be made in due course". Anyone can ask for a sentence to be reviewed, according to the courts service, and they do not have to have been involved in a certain types can be reviewed including murder, manslaughter, rape and serious drug offences. The explosion stemmed from a build-up of butane created in the process of making drug-infused sweets in one of the flats by Galbraith and Mr pair were using a ground-floor flat in the block of 12 homes on Violet Close to make the so-called cannabis shatter, the court as a "sophisticated" factory, it exploded at about 00:40 BST on 16 who lived upstairs with his parents and baby brother, had been asleep in the family's living mother, Katherine Errington, and seven-week-old brother, Finlay, were buried beneath bricks and debris and were pulled to safety by Archie's father, Robbie York. 'You killed my son' Ms Errington told the court her son's death had "broken us in ways I didn't know possible" and the family had "lost everything", adding she felt "survivor's guilt".She angrily told Galbraith he "took risks for profit" before screaming at him: "You killed my son."In a statement read to the court, Mr York said he felt "nothing but anger" towards Galbraith and Mr Laws, adding he had "no sympathy" for the latter's of Rectory Road, was found in the wreckage covered in severe burns and spent a month in a coma in well as the manslaughter charges, he pleaded guilty to producing and selling cannabis. The block of properties was later demolished, with dozens of people losing their homes and and costs to Newcastle City Council was valued at £3.7m, with 81 adults and 59 children from 51 homes displaced and 10 households having to be permanently rehoused. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Yahoo
Council seeks to claw back fatal explosion cost
Council bosses will try to claw back some of the multimillion-pound cost to the public purse caused by a drugs lab explosion that killed a seven-year-old boy. Reece Galbraith was jailed this week for 14 years for causing the blast in Violet Close, Benwell, in Newcastle, in which Archie York and 35-year-old Jason Laws died last October. The site of the explosion will remain grassed-over until a consultation with Archie's family and the wider community on if the houses should be rebuilt, Newcastle City Council said. The authority also confirmed it would be seeking to claim back some of the estimated £3.7m of costs incurred by the incident on insurance. It is unclear at this stage how much it may be able to recoup or how long that might take, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. 'My son was killed by criminals making cannabis' Drug dealer who killed boy, 7, in explosion jailed Explosion community 'relieved but still in pain' After Galbraith's sentencing, the local authority said that the incident had an "enormous, confounding impact on the community, staff and all those involved and has drained finances and resources in what are already difficult times". Civic centre bosses estimated £1.5m has been spent on the management, demolition, and reinstatement of the scene of the explosion, as well as supporting displaced families – many of whom lost not only their home, but all of their personal belongings. The explosion in the early hours of 16 October saw 142 residents from 51 homes, evacuated. Twelve properties affected by the blast have since been demolished and ten households have been permanently rehoused. The council also estimated that rebuilding those 12 lost homes would cost it about £1.9m – though bosses have stressed that it would only do so "if and when the time feels right" and following consultation with Archie's family and the wider community. That area has been grassed over to create a "space for quiet reflection" before any further consideration of its future use. A loss of rent and council tax income makes up the remainder of the stated £3.7m cost and would not be covered by insurance. Follow BBC Newcastle on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Explosion community 'relieved but still in pain' 'My son was killed by criminals making cannabis' Drug dealer who killed boy, 7, in explosion jailed Newcastle City Council
BBC News
18-05-2025
- BBC News
Newcastle City Council seeks to claw back Benwell explosion cost
Council bosses will try to claw back some of the multimillion-pound cost to the public purse caused by a drugs lab explosion that killed a seven-year-old Galbraith was jailed this week for 14 years for causing the blast in Violet Close, Benwell, in Newcastle, in which Archie York and 35-year-old Jason Laws died last site of the explosion will remain grassed-over until a consultation with Archie's family and the wider community on if the houses should be rebuilt, Newcastle City Council authority also confirmed it would be seeking to claim back some of the estimated £3.7m of costs incurred by the incident on insurance. It is unclear at this stage how much it may be able to recoup or how long that might take, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. 'My son was killed by criminals making cannabis' Drug dealer who killed boy, 7, in explosion jailedExplosion community 'relieved but still in pain' After Galbraith's sentencing, the local authority said that the incident had an "enormous, confounding impact on the community, staff and all those involved and has drained finances and resources in what are already difficult times".Civic centre bosses estimated £1.5m has been spent on the management, demolition, and reinstatement of the scene of the explosion, as well as supporting displaced families – many of whom lost not only their home, but all of their personal belongings. The explosion in the early hours of 16 October saw 142 residents from 51 homes, properties affected by the blast have since been demolished and ten households have been permanently rehoused. The council also estimated that rebuilding those 12 lost homes would cost it about £1.9m – though bosses have stressed that it would only do so "if and when the time feels right" and following consultation with Archie's family and the wider area has been grassed over to create a "space for quiet reflection" before any further consideration of its future use.A loss of rent and council tax income makes up the remainder of the stated £3.7m cost and would not be covered by insurance. Follow BBC Newcastle on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
