‘Britain’s worst’ crime-ridden highway deserted by all however re-opened pub and its punters
Locals are thankful for the pub’s reopening on Hunters Road – where 5,000 crimes were reported in a year – as the last business to start trading on the street was a ‘brothel’
Birmingham’s “roughest” road left to rot amid soaring crime rates, mounds of litter and dog mess has been abandoned by all apart from one publican. Howard Derdar decided to buy the shuttered premises on Hunters Road in Lozells with plans to turn it into an off-licence.
However, the 38-year-old had a change of heart after he realised the area was in dire need of a community space where locals could meet and hang out. Mr Derdar decided to reopen The Observatory pub with a twist – serving Eritrean food alongside standard draught beers and spirits to punters.
The publican, who grew up in the area and remembers when the pub was open under a different owner, hopes the business can begin to turn the tide on issues plaguing the locality. For example, there were 5,000 crimes reported in area over the last year – which equates to 14 every day.
Howard Derdar told the Sun: “When I bought this closed-down pub the plan was to open an off licence. But when I thought about it, I knew that would be the easy way out.
“What this place needs is a sense of community, somewhere welcoming to all, where people can hang out. But I feel like the Labour councillors around here don’t want this business.
“Their government talks about growth but as a businessman I don’t feel supported, I feel targeted.” Howard added: “Financially an off-licence would have made much more sense.”
“But I remembered being in this area as a young man who had come to this country as a child, and going into The Observatory. They had the best food – absolutely beautiful Caribbean food.
“I used to enjoy every bit of it – the men playing dominoes, the music, the feeling of community.” Since reopening three months ago, the pub’s CCTV system aided the police spot a man fleeing a murder scene.
Howard said: “This area has a lot of problems. There are more and more HMOs and people being dumped and forgotten about.
“We are close to Villa Road which has always had a reputation. There are many neglected people here. They are not bad people but they are ignored by the system.”
Mum-of-five Hayley, 37 said: “I am really pleased to see it back but I don’t think it will be like it was. It used to be a place for us all and everyone came. We had so much laughter and parties over the years.”
She added: “Of course there were trouble makers but the pub didn’t cause them. The last thing to open up around here was a brothel opposite my house.
“So it’s good to see a proper business. We need something decent around here.”
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