A “HELLHOLE island” plagued by crime, boarded-up shops and gangs is finally set for a £20million upgrade to revive its high streets, pubs and parks.
The funding forms part of the Government’s Pride in Place scheme, aimed at transforming rundown areas and making them “better places to live”.
The cash injection will go to Sheerness, on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, which has long been branded a “ghost town” by fed-up locals who say it’s been “forgotten” by authorities.
Residents say the investment can’t come soon enough for the island, which has been blighted by anti-social behaviour, drug use and derelict streets.
Families fear for their safety, with some refusing to visit certain parts of the town “for a million pounds”.
One woman, Margaret Jackson, 67, told MailOnline: “It is a hellhole island. There’s parts of here I would not be paid a million pounds to visit.
“It is terrible. It’s got so much worse in the last few years.
“The youths run riot. They control some of the estates and people won’t go near them.”
Locals say crime has spiralled, with Sheerness now recording 181 crimes per 1,000 residents — more than double the Kent average of 88.
The town is listed as Kent’s second most dangerous small area and sits within England’s top 20 for crime.
Residents blame a “complete lack of police presence”.
Retired Ingrid Rice, 71, said: “You never see a police officer in this town. It used to be really nice here. It’s such a shame what has happened.”
Others described Sheerness as a “ghost town”, with shuttered shops and little for young people to do.
One shopkeeper said: “We have been abandoned. Shops are so empty. There’s nothing to do.
“There’s been an explosion in tanning places and barber shops – but nothing of real use.”
Insp Vanessa Foster, from Swale’s Neighbourhood Task Force, said police are tackling the problems. “Over the last year, officers on the Isle of Sheppey have continued to respond to concerns raised by residents and business owners,” she said.
“During this period, we have reduced burglaries to people’s homes by more than half, from 68 to 24.”
Despite this, locals say years of neglect have left deep scars.
Some families are desperate to leave, calling the area unsafe.
One mother said: “I don’t feel safe raising children here. There’s always something. It’s dreadful.”
Another added: “My family refuse to visit me, all because of where I live. It’s like a zombie town.”
But not everyone agrees. Busker Steve Harding, 75, who has lived in Sheerness since 1987, said: “The people are great.
“They are very happy with what I do. I think it’s fantastic.”
The new £20million boost will focus on Sheppey East, one of the most deprived wards in the country.
In 2019, Eastchurch ranked in the bottom 2 per cent and nearby Leysdown and Warden in the bottom 1 per cent of the poorest areas in England.
Locals are now being asked where they think the cash should go.
Many are calling for improvements to pavements, reopening of community spaces and investment in local shops and leisure facilities.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said when announcing the Pride in Place scheme: “For too long, people have watched their towns and streets decline – powerless to stop boarded-up shops and neglected parks.
“That ends now.”
Residents on Sheppey hope the money will finally turn around a town once branded “the island that time forgot” – and help transform its reputation from “hellhole” to hopeful.
