A POPULAR community café in the heart of Tilehurst played host to a man tipped to become the next Prime Minister as residents shared their experiences of anti-social behaviour.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer visited Dee Caf, on Spey Road, where he listened to stories about crime and drug-dealing in the community as he pledged to “take Reading back from the yobs”.

Speaking to the Chronicle, Sir Keir said he wanted to bring ‘respect’ back to society through a new scheme to target anti-social behaviour as he set out plans to invest in 13,000 new police officers. 

He said: “The people of Reading deserve better than Conservative failure. The Tories talk tough, but look at their record. They’ve allowed antisocial behaviour to spiral in Reading, suppressing growth in our communities and undermining respect across Britain.

“With my changed Labour Party, Britain’s authorities will get the tough powers and extra manpower they need to stamp out the crime and disorder of Tory Britain.

“Labour will bring confidence and pride back to our communities.

He continued: "We’ll take Reading back from the yobs. And we will bring respect back to Britain.”

Speaking exclusively to the Chronicle in a wide-ranging interview on Friday, Sir Keir said anti-social behaviour "really gets under the skin" and "inhibits" people from living fully.

He said he had heard from people too afraid to leave their homes, saying: "I've heard from people here [in Tilehurst]. Some people feel they can't go out in their own community or they don't want to go to the shops. We take that seriously." 

During a frank discussion, residents and local councillors told their accounts of dealing with drug-related crimes and unsavoury behaviour on the Dee Park - though some pointed out things had improved in recent years.

The former director of public prosecutions, aged 61, listened over a cup of “very strong” tea and plates of freshly-baked pastries as Tilehurst residents shared their stories.

One resident said: “There was a stabbing a few years back right outside my house and the whole area was closed for days. We have issues with fly-tipping and drug dealing on a regular basis.”

Another said they were “afraid to leave” their house, saying they’d had “mud” thrown at their property.

Police figures show there were 89 crimes reported in Tilehurst in December, down from 119 crimes in the year previously.

Of those crimes, 38 related to violence and sexual offences, nine anti-social behaviour and seven incidents of criminal damage and arson.

Shoplifting in Tilehurst in particular has seen a reduction in the number of crimes reported from 18 cases in December 2022 to six in 2023.

And there were just three drug offences recorded in 2023, up by two from 2022.

But despite the decrease in crime reports - and the small number of drug offences - residents say they believe many crimes such as drug dealing will be underreported and say they still feel fearful of being out at night.

Tilehurst resident Chris said she sees people selling and picking up suspicious parcels “daily”.

“[There are set times every day] where you see a black car pull up, a bloke gets out and hand  something over and off they go,” she said.

Away from drug issues, Chris said she “wouldn’t feel safe” to go out at night.

The pensioner said: “They need policing down here 24/7. I see a lot here. Drugs. Kids on electric bikes, two of them on motorbikes with no helmets doing wheelies.”

During the discussion with Starmer, another woman said she could sympathise with local teenagers who had been constantly “let down” by the authorities. “There is nothing for them to do here,” she said.

“They’ve grown up in an area where they’ve been promised things and they’ve been let down, let down, let down. Not all of these children have been brought up in a house where things have been kind and loving.”

Starmer said it was important to tackle the issue from “both ends”, and really “get under the bonnet”.

The Chronicle spoke to residents after Starmer’s visit to find out what they thought. Chris said she wasn’t a fan of any politicians.

The 76-year-old said: “None of them are any good. Get rid of the government altogether and start again, I say.” Her friend Stanley, aged 74, agreed. “I think this country only ever had one good prime minister and that was Churchill.”

Chris, who was born in Whitley, said she thought politicians “don’t know life”, saying: “There was a great programme on television many years ago where politicians or high people swapped places with those struggling to see how they would cope. They only did it for a week. They need to do it for three months – they wouldn’t know how to survive.”

Speaking of her own experience on the sharp end of the rise in housing, she said: “The place we live in, they have put the service charges up. I was paying £45 a month – it’s now £36 a week but do we get a rise in our pensions? It doesn’t make sense.”

On the positive sides, Chris, along with friends Stanley and Sandy, said there was much community spirit in Tilehurst.

As a group they often meet to “put the world to rights” at the cafe.

“We have a good old natter, we help each other out with issues, we talk about anything,” she said.

And with a general election on the cards in the months to come, they’ll certainly have plenty to talk about.