Shop owners on a busy city street said antisocial behaviour is now so bad they've had threats of being stabbed.
Exeter's South Street is supposed to be a hub for business. But one shop owner said the recent behaviour of some people has been "horrendous".
The owner of award-winning Hook Fish and Chips added business is being impacted because fighting is a problem and "when you're eating, you don't want to see blood".
Shop owners have called for more CCTV to try and help stop the problem and keep people coming to the street.
City Barbers manager Kieran Shaw said that he feels antisocial behaviour has escalated since the Covid pandemic lockdowns.
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There is 'no way at all' Phone Trends manager Toqir Aslam would normally come to South Street (Mary Stenson/DevonLive)He told Devon Live: "It's been horrendous, actually involving this shop. The windows have been put through, our boss got attacked out there. Not long ago, we had two [people] in here and one of them was threatening to stab one of my co-workers."
Exeter's South Street Shine project means planters will soon line the street, but there is some concern they will be used for vandalism and "put through the windows" or even used as makeshift ashtrays and toilets.
Kieran added: "It's less busy than the rest of town and it's the benches, a hundred per cent. When it rains, they go to the bus stop. I think through Covid, when nobody was allowed out, they had the run of the town.
Necati Zurel, owner of Hook Fish and Chips on South Street, Exeter (Mary Stenson/DevonLive)Kieran added that nearby benches are a problem and cause people to hang around the area.
"The only thing that's going to stop that kind of thing going on down here is taking the benches away," he said.
"There's been incidents where there has been a group of old people sat on the bench and it'll all start kicking off and they'll go away, it's scary."
Staff member Natalie said: "The planters will look nice to begin with but personally I think they will get needles stuck in them or they will be used as ashtrays or toilets or they'll be put through the windows. We've been asked to take them in in the evenings."
It is hoped planters will spruce up the area, but there are concerns over what they might be used for (Mary Stenson/DevonLive)Kieran added that he feels the behaviour outside the shop is causing a loss of earnings, and believed the issue has barely improved since he first raised it publicly in November 2021.
He continued: "It's definitely made an impact to business. We've been told by customers 'if we had kids, we wouldn't bring them down here' because it's always kicking and screaming and swearing out there.
"It's gotten a little bit better now. There [are] still fights out there every single day.
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Nearby, the manager of the phone repair shop Phone Trends, Toqir Aslam said there is little chance he would come to the street in his free time.
He said: "For me, I want them to behave [normally] and just stay here for the whole day, there's no problem but when they are shouting, sometimes they [fight] as well so that is not right.
"Unfortunately we are stuck here because we are running a business here, otherwise I wouldn't come to this street at all."
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