Residents dwelling in worry of feral ‘Lord of the Flies’ gang breaking into houses with golf golf equipment

A handful of residents remain on the 122-home Ekin Road estate in Cambridge, with all but 14 of the properties earmarked for demolition as youths wreak havoc on vacant homes

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Terrified residents on a doomed 1950s estate claim they are living infear of a feral “Lord of the Flies” mob ransacking vacant properties while armed with golf clubs. Only a small number of locals remain on the 122-home estate on Ekin Road, Cambridge.

With all but 14 of the houses officially marked for demolition, the estate has been transformed into a desolate ghost town. The remaining householders say their lives are being completely destroyed by lawless youths who have been caught on video smashing windows, breaking into empty flats and “pulverising everything to dust.”

The heartbreaking situation has sparked comparisons to William Golding’s classic novel Lord of the Flies, which tracks a group of schoolboys marooned on a deserted island who rapidly descend into total savagery.

Cambridge City Council initially sought to flatten all 122 homes on the estate to clear the path for a new housing development. However, Dr Maurice Chiodo led the fierce Save Ekin Road Campaign, successfully rescuing 14 homes from the bulldozers.

The remaining 108 properties are scheduled to be demolished, but the long waiting game has created a haven for criminals.

Dr Chiodo claimed the youths are now “roaming around with impunity” on the “obviously very empty” street, causing chaos in broad daylight.

He said: “Youths are using abandoned bins to jump onto shed buildings and balconies. They’ve broken into abandoned flats and smashed up interiors.

“These are very large groups, sometimes up to twenty, coming in with golf clubs and targeting everything they can find, pulverising it to dust. It’s a Lord of the Flies type-scenario.”

Dr Chiodo revealed that a massive surge in antisocial behaviour began in February, with school-uniform-clad kids causing trouble every Thursday and Friday afternoon.

He added that long-term residents are now terrified, branding it an “engineered problem” caused by poor council management leaving empty flats as “sitting ducks,” with bulldozers still up to 18 months away.

Sandra Ellis, 71, lives in one of the few houses spared from demolition. She says the area has dramatically deteriorated into a rubbish-strewn wasteland since her neighbours were moved out.

She said: “The council have left us in limbo and we should not be forgotten.” Sandra added that overgrown trees and fly-tipping have taken over the street while local kids think they can do whatever they want.

Chris Workman, 38, is the last person left living in his flat block. He says the lawless vandals can gain access to the building “too easily” and have even ripped out the security scanning equipment on the rear entrance.

He revealed that groups of children wander around at leisure, forcing residents to constantly call the police. The ongoing chaos is severely affecting his sleep. He added: “They urinate on the floor and use golf clubs to smash windows.”

Meg Gadja, 63, has lived on Ekin Road for 14 years and is also the sole occupant left in her entire block. She described the estate as an “awful place to live” and fears her home will be completely cleaned out by thieves.

Meg said: “I live here alone in the whole building and it’s not safe for me. My flat is in pristine condition because I care about it…Now it’s an awful place to live. It’s very easy to spot if I am at home or not.”

Meg claimed that when she begged the council to board up her balcony door to stop kids scaling the sheds to get in, they refused because it would cause cosmetic damage. She said: “What’s the problem if it’s going to be demolished anyway?”

A Cambridge City Council spokesperson said the redevelopment was vital due to structural issues, meaning “doing nothing was not an option.”

The spokesperson added: “The downside of this is for those who will remain living on Ekin Road, and who are facing the problems often seen on sites with multiple vacant homes.

“We recognise this is a frustrating and sometimes frightening experience and we are committed to reviewing our security measures as required during this phase.” The council says that mobile security officers are actively patrolling the area, with alarm systems in place.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Police said: “We are aware of the issues on Ekin Road and are working with partners and councils to tackle ASB in the area. Local sergeants and officers are regularly patrolling the area to ensure the addresses are secure.”