Safety concerns after attack on man in West Bromwich alleyway
Residents are divided over how safe they feel in an area of West Bromwich where a man was assaulted on Sunday night.
The victim, in his 30s, suffered head injuries not believed to be life-threatening after being attacked on the Wallface alleyway in Hill Top at around 8pm.
Police sealed off a section of the alleyway overnight and removed the cordon at around 10.40am on Monday.
Several nearby residents told the Express & Star that they didn't feel safe in the area, as did the owners of a takeaway near the alley.
Staff at Enjoys Pizza said that the back door had been broken into twice and the premises burgled as a result. Consequently, they said they did not feel safe in the surrounding area.
Employees at the Polo Smak off licence, which is adjacent to the Wallface alley, said they normally felt safe in the area but avoided the nearby park, which they thought could be dangerous.
Other business owners said the area had always felt safe, with the owner of a nearby chip shop telling the Express & Star: "I've been here for 15 years and it's not normally dangerous."
He also said that the victim was presumed to be in a serious condition when the cordon was still in place on Monday morning.
A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: " We're investigating after a man was assaulted in Hill Top, West Bromwich, at around 8pm.
"A man in his 30s was taken to hospital with head injuries which are not life-threatening. We're carrying out CCTV and other enquiries and anyone with information can contact us via Live Chat on our website and quote 20/292293/23."
One ambulance attended the scene and one man was taken to hospital for further assessment, with his injuries "not believed to be serious".
