Drug dealing gangsters ‘wreck stunning city’ in violent county traces ‘turf conflict’

A quiet commuter town is being taken over by warring gangs of drug dealers who are leaving locals ‘too scared to go out at night’, it is claimed.

Drug mules are making near-daily round trips between London and Swindon which has seen an explosion in knife and gun crime.

Locals say the once-peaceful town, more famed for its iconic ‘magic roundabout’ than violent turf wars, has seen youngsters groomed by ruthless gang leaders into becoming drug runners for organised criminal groups.

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One man, so fearful of his life that he did not wish to be named, told the Sun: “Almost every drug deal done in this town now is off the back of county lines.

“The way they work is they find young people living here – the more vulnerable or desperate, the better – and groom them, bribe them with money and free drugs, make them promises, threaten them, whatever they have to do to allow the drug runners to live in their homes and use them as a base.

“It is going on in literally hundreds of houses and flats throughout the town and no one is doing anything about it. If anyone does, the knives, and even guns, come out and they are threatened, or worse.”

Last year, the town was rocked by the murder of Owen Dunn, who was knifed to death in Penhill. His killers claimed they were acting in self defence, but they convicted them of murder.

Bristol Crown Court heard Owen was also carrying a weapon, which was later found by paramedics.

One of his killers, Tyler Hunt, was from Park South, which along with Park North and Pinehurst has seen the town given a new nickname, “P-Town”.

Another resident in Pinehurst, said she too had witnessed gun crime in her hometown.

The woman – also too scared to give her name – said a huge row erupted between two gangs of teenagers outside a house where she was attending a party.

She went outside to see what was going on and ‘it was pretty clear it was about some kind of turf war involving drugs’, she told the Sun.

She added: “Next thing, a car pulled up and two huge guys got out and one of them pulled a gun out from inside his jacket and told one of the groups that if they continued selling drugs on this estate, he’d put them all six feet under.

“This is what Swindon is like now. It used to be such a lovely place when I was growing up but drugs and violence, and especially gun crime, is wrecking this beautiful town.

“I know what the problem is – it’s county lines. They send the drugs up from London with young guys who seem to have no problem finding vulnerable people in Swindon to do their dirty work.

“They install themselves in these vulnerable people’s lives and homes and run them like remote controlled toys. They use intimidation and violence and completely takeover every area of their lives.

“The cops know this is going on but nothing seems to change. Swindon does not deserve this.”

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