Drama in the heart of Shakespeare country: Neighbours of Anne Hathaway's cottage says county lines drug dealers have turned their village into 'hell' that police 'cannot keep safe'

Neighbour's of Anne Hathaway's idyllic cottage say county lines drug dealers have turned their village into 'hell' and police can't keep them safe.

Furious locals living next to the historic Shakespeare property in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, say they live in terror of anti-social yobs and are too scared to leave their homes. 

The leafy street - where houses can sell for almost £500,000 - is close to Anne Hathaway's Cottage, the wife of William Shakespeare.

Residents living on South Green Drive were too scared to be named fearing reprisals, but say their lives have become 'miserable'.

Residents despair at the situation and believe that 'criminals have won'. 

One woman, who has lived on the road for 50 years, said: 'It's quite frightening when you see cars full of big men sitting in the street.

'We have had drug dealers move in next door and you get these big burly blokes coming in and out at all times of the day and night.

'You've got to pretend that you don't see it. You see the younger dealers buzzing around the area too.

'They tend to go in next to the children's play area so they are not overlooked by people's homes.

'You also get kids aged 14 and 15 coming up in the holidays and throwing stones at people's windows.

'Talking to the police, it's obvious they can't cope. It's the county lines drug gangs who are operating here.

'We live in one of the most beautiful towns in the country, yards away from Anne Hathaway's famous cottage, but our lives are miserable.'

Another young mum, who moved to the street six years ago, said: 'When I first moved here it was older, retired people.

'It was beautiful and people would be out making their gardens look nice.

'Then a housing association took over a few properties and young people moved in and then came the drugs.

'We had people move in next door to me who were obviously dealing drugs.

'I'd lose count of how many times I saw the police round there.

'The area is falling apart and people who used to stop for a chat now lock themselves in their homes. It's sad really but the criminals have won.'

Other residents say the estate often organised community barbecues and street sales but that had all come to an end.

One said: 'People just aren't interested any more.

'I've tried to organise barbecues and this and that people just keep themselves to themselves now.

'I feel for one couple near me, they have two young children and they have to walk past a known drug den to take their kids to school.

'I can pick a druggie out really well. You just get used to it, it's normal now.

'I've had plain-clothed police officers sat in front of my drive, just watching them.

'I've seen armed police come and raid homes. It's a weekly occurrence.

'These men just park outside across people's driveways, they do their drug deals and go. They don't care who they upset. They're scary men.

'You can tell they're dodgy, something isn't right. It's all since the buildings were taken over and given to younger people.

'It's not right that it happens. I've lived here 20 years and it used to be so lovely.'

Another resident added: 'We are desperate to get the neighbourhood cleaned up after years of hellish anti-social behaviour.

'I'm mentally exhausted and don't know what else I have to do.

'It's disappointing, given I'm trying to get my neighbourhood cleansed of this persistent blight on the community.'

A spokesperson for Orbit housing, which owns several properties on the road, said: 'We do not condone anti-social behaviour in any of our properties and understand the negative impact these issues have on other residents.

'We're listening to the concerns raised by residents and thanks to the information they've provided, we're working closely with the local authority and police to take appropriate action including pursuing legal action for breach of tenancy.

'We encourage all of our customers to continue to report incidents of anti-social behaviour to the police as well as ourselves as we work together to deter and prevent similar issues in the future.'

Crime figures show there were 89 crimes in the area in February, including 20 for anti-social behaviour and 35 for violence and sexual offences.

Sergeant Clair Price of Warwickshire Police said: 'While we cannot comment on individual cases, we welcome reports of suspicious activity and officers across the county regularly take action based on these reports.'