The latest police data showed an increase in crime in the area, which came as no surprise to the people we spoke to
15:53, 30 Mar 2026
Sadiqur said he has been threatened at knifepoint before(Image: Leicester Mercury)
A resurgence in prostitution, commonplace violence and a high number of robberies were all touched upon by people living and working in a Leicester suburb that “deserves its bad reputation”.
The latest data from Leicestershire Police showed a large increase in overall crime in the Stoneygate area of Leicester, from December to January. Overall crime incidents per month went from 111 to 184, with violence and sexual offences leading the rise.
People in Highfields, which is included in Stoneygate’s statistics, told tales of being robbed at knifepoint, getting beaten up in the street and increasing levels of prostitution.
Sadiqur Rahman Jahid works at the Zam Zam Convenience store in Sparkenhoe Street. He said: “I don’t like to leave work late because I’m scared to walk home at night.
“It’s not the main road here in particular where you face issues. It’s the side streets. That is where the trouble tends to be.”
Sparkenhoe Street in Highfields(Image: Leicester Mercury)
The 26-year-old added: “I’ve been threatened before on College Street where I was walking back from work at night and this guy pulled a knife on me and asked for my phone and anything else I had on me. It has happened to my friends who live here as well.”
“I’ve had customers whose bikes have been stolen outside while they are in here shopping.
“They’ll come in, do their usual shop and within minutes I’ve seen bikes get stolen from outside.
“The thieves are persistent too, as I’ve seen two guys going around with an electric saw cutting through people’s bike locks to steal the bicycles.”
The convenience store worker mentioned that it tends to be certain groups which cause issues in Highfields and they all partake in illegal activities in Prebend Gardens. It’s a small park, just a five-minute walk from Leicester railway station.
Prebend Gardens, close to Leicester Railway Station (Image: Leicester Mercury)
He said: “I don’t like how the park around the corner is constantly filled with alcohol and rubbish from bad groups of people too. There are a lot of groups that like to smoke drugs there and it means I don’t feel like using the park because of them.”
Nick Jones, from the JA Clarke Bathroom Supply Shop, said he has definitely noticed an increase in crime in the area. He added: “We had people battered outside of the shop a couple of weeks ago right here, so we’ve definitely seen the crime increase in the area.
“We’ve also had people rob us of boilers too, so yeah, we’ve noticed.”
Thinking back to how Highfields was a few years ago, the 51-year-old said: “The area used to be a lot worse, with a lot of prostitution going on around here but that has been cleared up over the years. We are starting to see that type of crime rise again though.
“There are certain groups of people and everyone knows who they are and even where they live and they are bad eggs. They are the ones doing the drugs and controlling some of the ladies.”
Drug paraphernalia left at a children’s play area in Highfields(Image: Leicester Mercury)
When asked if he believes Highfields is safe, Nick said: “I think as long as you’re keeping sensible, it’s not as bad as they say here. As long as you are on the ball and behave correctly you will be fine. Maybe don’t walk around at night though.
“I mean we are a city in the end of the day so there will be areas which are unsafe. Unfortunately, this is one of those areas for Leicester.”
Commenting on the “bad reputation” which Highfields tends to receive, Lukman Saburi, 44, said he believes it is deserved.
He said: “I’ve been here all my life and I have seen a lot of stuff happen here. You do get a lot of crime in the area.
“Personally, I think we deserve the bad reputation because when you compare us to most other areas of Leicester, we do have a lot more crime taking place.
“That argument has another side to it though, as when you compare us to New Parks or Beaumont Leys, I think we’re not that bad. We’re among the bad places, but not the worst in Leicester.
“I think those who believe we are the worst area of Leicester need to come out and see for themselves. If they still feel unsafe after visiting here, then fair enough.”
When asked if he believes an increase in police patrols is the answer to cutting down crime in Highfields, Lukman said that would “not be very effective”.
The 44-year-old said: “For me the key thing is upbringing, that is what will see a drop in crime here.
“Parents need to be more responsible and warn their children of the traps they could fall into if they get involved in crime.
“If parents can do that, then we would be fixing the problem right at the source.”
Not everyone in Highfields agreed that the area is unsafe though, with one person even saying it is “boring” these days.
Dean Dalrymple, 55, from Highfields, said: “Nothing happens around here anymore. The area has become boring if you ask me.
“I think it’s plenty safe here now, unlike a few years ago. You used to see a lot more people doing drugs on the street around Highfields but they’ve all moved more to the city centre now so it’s boring here.”
When asked why he believes the area has become safer now, Dean said: “People don’t realise that when the area became more multi-cultural with a stronger focus on religion, the crime dropped. This used to be a really bad area but it is perfectly safe now.”
We contacted Leicestershire Police for a statement on the latest data regarding the Stoneygate area but had no response by the time of publication.
