The city with the ‘worst high street in UK’ – full of ‘zombies’ brawling and empty shops

A city with the tag of having the UK’s “worst high street” has become overrun by homeless “Zombies” and drunken street brawlers. Newport, in South Wales, was ranked as having the highest shop vacancy rate among cities and large towns surveyed in a report by Centre for Cities in 2025. It recorded a 19% vacancy rate, which topped 62 other major urban areas ranked in the study.

According to locals, the situation has been made worse by increased crime and anti-social behaviour in and around the city centre. They have demanded a balaclava ban, as well as heightened police powers to ban street drinking and aggressive begging.

“I’ve been quite well travelled in my job, I’ve been to Gloucester, Cheltenham and around the Westcountry and South Wales,” 53-year-old Mike Enea, who lives in Newport, tells the Daily Express. “Some towns fare better than others. Cheltenham, for example, doesn’t see much anti-social behaviour or closed shops but I think Newport, in comparison to most towns and cities, is struggling more than most.”

Mr Enea, a local campaigner and columnist in the South Wales Argus newspaper, says crime and anti-social behaviour rates spiked during the summer months. He says the “massive” issue is having an impact on local businesses.

“There were a lot of people fighting in the streets. It’s not kids, it’s older people and rough sleepers. They live in temporary accommodation in and around the city centre,” he explains

“They get drunk and high on drugs in public. The word for them in Newport is ‘Zombies’ and they were literally everywhere in June and July.”

Video footage shows a drunk man scaling a statue dedicated to Sir Charles Morgan, a former Welsh soldier and politician, on Bridge Street in July. An orange traffic cone can be seen on the statue’s head.

A separate video shows youths swinging off scaffolding on the High Street in the same month. Another shows police surrounding a group of drunk men, one of which is asleep, on Bridge Street.

Newport lost its Marks & Spencer Foodhall at Friars Walk in June after the retailer’s 10-year lease came to an end. The company cited changing shopping habits and declining footfall for the closure, as well as repeated shoplifting, rising crime and anti-social behaviour.

Mr Enea says the closure was a “massive” blow to the city and represented the impact that crime is having on businesses across Newport. The city’s streets are now lined with boarded up shops and “closing down sale” signs, with some notices saying they are closing due to “criminal behaviour”.

Other names to have left the city recently include Debenhams and River Island. Meanwhile, smaller traders have been left to deal with the impact of break-ins and thefts.

As reported by The Sun, Annette Farmer closed her family-run jewellery business in August following thefts. She lost around £40,000 and could not afford to keep replacing her stolen stock.

Gwent Police lauched Operation Krypton in July to tackle anti-social behaviour, drug supply, and shoplifting. It led to 321 arrests as officers carried out high-visibility patrols, drug warrants, weapons seizures, and the enforcement of Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs).

More recently, the force carried out Operation Athena, a three-week crackdown from mid-September to October, focused on vehicle-related crime. It led to 13 arrests and the seizure of 18 vehicles.

However, some residents believe more could still be done, calling for intensified police patrols to become more routine rather than relying primarily on reports of incidents to prompt a response.

“Police have clamped down on it but we’re still seeing incidents on social media,” Mr Enea explains. “There have been accusations that police are not patrolling the streets but instead just responding to incidents so there’s no deterrent.”

A motion was put forward and nearly unaminously backed by Newport City Council to explore a ban on balaclavas on September 29. Council officers will now investigate the feasibility of banning face coverings as part of an upcoming review of the city centre’s Public Space Protection Order (PSPO).

The motion, which also calls for tighter rules on public drinking and begging, will be reviewed again next January. It is noted to include exemptions on a potential balaclava ban for religious reasons.

However, Gwent Police recently responded to the plans and described the proposal of a balaclava ban as a political matter rather than a policing one. The force did not offer direct support or opposition after being questioned by the South Wales Argus.

According to Mr Enea, this “upset” local councillors who compared the situation to Nottingham where the police force actively fought to ban balaclavas. The city added to its PSPO on September 15 to ban balaclavas and face-concealing masks.

“In Newport, you get the impression the police aren’t particularly bothered about a balaclava ban. It’s crazy,” Mr Enea said.”

Speaking on balaclavas, a spokesperson for Newport City Council said: “The current city centre public spaces protection order (PSPO) already prohibits behaviour that causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress. Where a face covering is being used in connection with that behaviour, this could potentially fall within the scope of the existing wording.

“We are aware some councils have included more specific wording on face coverings in their PSPOs. If local evidence supports it, the council could consider, alongside Gwent Police and Safer Newport partners, whether additional targeted wording would add value.

“Such a measure is only likely to be lawful if there is quantifiable and verifiable evidence of a link between the use of face coverings and crime and antisocial behaviour, such evidence being essential to justify any interference with the rights and freedoms of individuals. The city centre PSPO is due for review before it expires next year and any potential amendments can be considered as part of that process.”

Superintendent Esyr Jones, Neighbourhood Policing for Gwent, said: “We’re continuing to work tirelessly to identify suspects, make arrests and secure charges against those causing harm in Newport city centre.

“Since July, we’ve made 321 arrests through our intelligence-led partnership initiative to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB) across Newport, including in the city centre.

“We’ve solved 18 out of 21 reported commercial burglaries in the city over the past three months, which shows the positive results our ongoing partnership work is delivering.

“Five suspects have been sentenced to imprisonment, totalling more than four-and-half years, for burglary and theft offences at commercial premises.

“As part of this work, we’ve charged a number of other offenders with similar offences carried out in the city centre; these cases are currently progressing through the court system.

“This proactive approach continues alongside partners, including Newport City Council, as we remain relentless in our pursuit of those who cause harm to the communities of Newport.

“However, our work doesn’t stop here. This approach we’ve taken is part of our day-to-day activity in the city centre and our neighbourhood teams will continue to remain visible, accessible and focused on the issues that matter most to people in Newport.

“We will continue to target repeat offenders, carry out drug warrants and disrupt criminal activity while listening to concerns from businesses and residents and speaking with them regularly during our targeted patrols in the city centre.

“We remain fully committed to working with our partners and when we identify offences, including Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) breaches in Newport city centre, we will take appropriate action to help safeguard our communities.”