Stark reality of life on high street once dubbed UK’s ‘best’ where yobs run riot

A HIGH street named the “best” in Britain is fighting a crime wave – where shoplifters run riot and staff are attacked.

Embattled shop owner Geraint, 33, described the “top high street” as “unworthy” of the title after he had £25,000-worth of stock stolen.

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Traders in Queen Street in Cardiff took top prize in a consumer survey earlier this week run by GlobalData for American Express.

But Geraint said there have been four attempted break-ins at his shop Queen Street Vapes in the heart of the Welsh capital.

He owns a chain of five shops across Wales and the West Country – however he mainly works in Cardiff because of the trouble he has dealt with.

Geraint said: “It gets to the point where I have considered selling up and cutting my losses.

“I struggle sleeping because of it. No CCTV or alarm system prevents them from getting in.”

He posted a video on social media appearing to show three people taking vapes from his shop.

South Wales Police said a 37-year-old man had pleaded guilty to burglary and the other two suspects have not been identified.

Staff at a nearby Savers said theft and threats from shoplifters were a daily occurrence.

Ethan James Barnes, 20, has worked at the Queen Street store for two years.

He said: “Just this morning someone came in and stole £118 worth of baby’s milk. You often get people stealing milk and laundry pods.”

He said police could not properly enforce the law due to the thefts being of low-value items.

“The only time the police have been involved is when I was slapped in the face,” Ethan said.

Rhys Thomas, 25, has worked at Holland and Barrett on Queen Street for more than a year.

He said staff have started wearing body cameras in that time.

“The main downside of the job is the violence,” he said. “It’s a continuous cycle with the same reoffenders.

“They get violent and the police get involved but it doesn’t deter them. They keep coming back.”

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Cardiff’s Queen Street was named as the most appealing high street in Britain in a new survey.

The list of the UK’s top shopping high streets ranked the Welsh capital street ahead of Gloucester’s central shopping street.

Eastgate Street in Chester was ranked third with Church Street in Liverpool and Princes Street in Edinburgh also ranking highly.

London failed to make the top ten as King’s Road in Chelsea came in 16th place.

American Express commissioned the study to identify what shoppers want from a great high street and which locations met the criteria.

High streets were considered if they were in a city and had a definable “primary” out-of-doors shopping street.

Two thousand people were surveyed.

The researchers called Cardiff’s Queen Street “notable for its variety of retailers” and it scored best for accessibility and transport links.

Its proximity to historical landmarks was also part of its appeal, they said.

South Wales Police said it dealt with “all shoplifters regardless of value” but outcomes may vary depending on circumstances.

South Wales Police said: “It’s real positive that Queen Street was recently named best high street in the UK, however we are sorry to hear the experiences of these city centre workers.

“Cardiff city centre remains a safe place but with an estimated half a million people passing through Queen Street and St Mary Street each week, unfortunately there will be incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour.”