‘This place might look bad but it’s not’: fear and hope in Middlesbrough community after week of violence

Nine people have died in events police had linked to organised crime in an area shaped by deprivation and fading opportunities, but there is light, say residents

“This place might look bad but it’s not, the people are good people,” said one woman before turning to her young daughter and asking: “Is this place bad?” The girl shakes her head vigorously.

It’s a difficult thing to say given the week’s events in Grangetown and South Bank on Teesside.