Call for action as derelict buildings attract criminals

POLICE have been called out 19 times to reports of crimes at just four abandoned buildings in Deritend since 2023, data has revealed.

- HARRY LEACH News Reporter

Twelve of the 19 alerts happened at an abandoned factory on land by Bradford Street, known by the local community as the ‘SK building’

The call-outs at the four sites were filed under ‘disorder; ‘concern for safety; ‘suspicious activity, ‘burglary, ‘drugs’ and ‘criminal damage’

The sites, all within a short walking distance, all have one thing in common - they've been empty for years.

The details emerged in a Freedom of Information Act request made by neighbourhood group Friends of Bradford Street, which said it was frustrated by “derelict buildings causing havoc’

Police were called out 12 times to the SK building derelict site between 2023 and 2025.

Four times it was over reported disorders, five times following concerns for safety, three times for suspicious activity and once for a burglary.