'We're forgotten about, no one is mithered about us'

RESIDENTS TELL OF ISSUES IN SUBURB WHERE DATA SUGGESTS NEARLY 40% OF CHILDREN LIVE IN POVERTY

- By DYLAN CAREY

“THE thing about Little Hulton is, we are forgotten about, no one is mithered about us’ says Karl Landauro, taking a sip of coffee sitting outside Flatwhite Cafe.

I's a Wednesday afternoon and Little Hulton’s shopping precinct is getting busy, despite drizzle and threatening grey clouds in the sky.

The mix of shops in the district centre all seem full with customers, next to bookmakers and a row of flats.

Karl is 39 and grew up nearby, but says problems with drugs and antisocial behaviour are massively affecting the community.

The area, he claims, is a place where people sort their own problems out, and don’t necessarily trust the police or other authorities to help.

The estate is located within the boundaries of Salford, but feels a world away from the shining-glass towers which make up Greengate and MediaCity.

It saw a boost in population after Salford’s postwar slum clearances, which saw families from inner-city areas move to new homes.

“Little Hulton was the overflow of Salford, so people came here when Salford got too built-up,’ Karl adds.

“We've always been on the back-burner. I grew up here in the ‘80s but now there are more knives around and things like that. People here need mental health support and help with drug addiction. There are problems on a daily basis.”

In a couple of hours spent chatting at the shopping precinct, it became clear that people in the neighbourhood are feeling fed-up. Many said they want more things to do for their kids, who often end up hanging out on the streets out of boredom.

Some families in Little Hulton are struggling just to get by. According to data from Resolve Poverty, nearly 40 per cent of kids in Little Hulton are living in poverty, compared to seven per cent in Boothstown and Ellenbrook, another area of Salford.

Changes are taking place to try and improve things in Little Hulton though.