Walsall residents 'too scared to report incidents' after machete attack outside school
Residents have spoken of their fears of attacks on their street after a man was left needing surgery following an attack in the early hours.
A 38-year-old man was 'set upon' by a gang wielding a machete as he was heading out to work from his home on Croft Street in Walsall at around 4.30am on Monday.
After the attack he was rushed to hospital, where he was set for surgery later in the day. Meanwhile, a police cordon remained in place in the road, near Croft Academy primary school, throughout the morning.
People living on Croft Street and nearby Lewis Street were left dealing with an attack which, according to one resident who wanted to remain anonymous, they feared would happen.
He said: "There's a lot of things going on around here and we have seen the police around here a lot.
"I saw some people doing what looked like dealing the other day and, recently, there were people being chased by police who ran down the alleyway next to my house, with all the noises around that.
"I'm very scared as I want to feel safe living around here and I don't feel safe when I hear about things like this and people hiding in the alleyway."
The incident is the latest in a number of violent attacks and incidents on Croft Street, with a pensioner having his nose broken by a burglar last May and a street brawl involving 18 people in June 2020.
Another resident, who didn't to be named, said people were too scared to say anything to the police as they feared retribution.
He said: "You see the police around here and there have been incidents, but people are too scared to say anything as they think they'll get attacked.
"I've lived here for about 10 years and it used to be a safe and nice area, but things keep happening around here and people keep getting hurt.
"I think hard sentences need to be handed out to people as that will deter them because I don't feel safe at times."
A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "We've arrested a teenager in connection with a machete attack on a man in Walsall in the early hours of this morning.
"It happened in Croft Street at around 4.30am. We believe this was a targeted attack and that the 38-year-old was set upon by three men.
"The victim remains in hospital today for surgery.
"Just before 6am we arrested a 17-year-old male on suspicion of wounding. He remains in police custody and inquiries are continuing today to identify the other people involved."
A spokeswoman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: "We were called by police to reports of an assault on Lewis Street, Walsall at 4.40am this morning.
"An ambulance and paramedic officer attended. Crews treated a man who had sustained potentially serious injuries before conveying him to hospital for further care."
Croft Academy has been contacted for a comment.
