IT is considered one of the roughest roads in Birmingham where even the local councillor admits murder is no surprise.
But despite the begging, drug addiction, fly-tipping and crime, most locals on Hunters Road in Lozells refuse to give up on the area.
More than 5,000 crimes have been reported in the area over the past year – around 14 a day.
In September local councillor Waseem Zaffar said Hunters Road is a crime hotspot – saying he “wasn’t shocked” by a murder there.
But one businessman has just re-opened a historic pub as the solitary business on the road that society forgot.
Howard Derdar, 38, said: “When I bought this closed-down pub the plan was to open an off licence.
“But when I thought about it, I knew that would be the easy way out.
“What this place needs is a sense of community, somewhere welcoming to all, where people can hang out.
“But I feel like the Labour councillors around here don’t want this business.
“Their government talks about growth but as a businessman I don’t feel supported, I feel targeted.”
The only thing to have opened up on Hunters Road recently are more and more Homes of Multiple Occupation (HMOs).
Their tenants, often with drug and alcohol issues and housed by landlords at a premium rent, are blamed for some of the area’s many problems.
So it came as a shock to many when Howard and his family re-opened The Observatory, a pub going back 120 years.
Now it is a boozer with an Eritrean twist incorporating the Rahya Restaurant, staffed by his brother and three sisters including a five-star trained chef.
Howard said: “Financially an off-licence would have made much more sense.”
“But I remembered being in this area as a young man who had come to this country as a child, and going into The Observatory.”
He added: “They had the best food – absolutely beautiful Caribbean food.
“I used to enjoy every bit of it – the men playing dominoes, the music, the feeling of community.”
In the three months since it re-opened, the pub, with its fully functioning CCTV system, has helped the police to spot a man fleeing a murder scene just yards away.
Howard said: “This area has a lot of problems. There are more and more HMOs and people being dumped and forgotten about.
“We are close to Villa Road which has always had a reputation.
“There are many neglected people here. They are not bad people but they are ignored by the system.”
As well as all the usual draught lagers, Guinness and spirits, customers can now enjoy traditionally cooked Eritrean food.
In a back-room, Abraham, Bini and Musgun are playing an Italian game called Vilado on a pool table.
It involves players throwing red and yellow balls to score points by knocking over tiny pins in the centre of the table.
Bini, a taxi driver, told The Sun: “It is becoming a place for the community.
“When we are on a break from driving or washing cars, we come here. It’s great.’
The pub was previously closed down after a campaign waged by local Labour councillor Waseem Zaffar on behalf of some residents who complained of noise and anti-social behaviour.
This area has a lot of problems. There are more and more HMOs and people being dumped and forgotten about. We are close to Villa Road which has always had a reputation
Howard Derdar
The culture war that closed it still rancours with former landlady Sophia Lawrence, 58.
She took over a “dirty little pub” in October 2007 and turned it into a successful hub for the local Caribbean community.
She said: “They took all this area’s problems and made the Observatory the scapegoat.”
“Certain people feel they own the area and they didn’t want a pub on the road so they painted a bad picture with fabricated complaints.
“The freeholder Clarendon Homes did not help by not responding to the Council and we lost a community resource.
“I went from being a pillar of the community to being blamed for all kinds of things.
“I feel we were the victims of racial discrimination and it still hurts because it was my life.”
Sophia added: “I never thought it would come back but credit to Howard for trying.”
Residents admitted there was no reason to complain about the new pub management but said the area was suffering.
Civil servant Mohammed, 23, has lived on the road all his life.
He said: “This road has had its ups and downs. It is not a nice area. You find a lot of drug addicts and alcoholics.
“Recently it has got worse. The HMOs don’t cause us problems directly but you get gang violence and drug dealing.
“The landlords are charging £900 for a room so in a way we all pay for it through less money for public services.
“The pub was closed down for anti social behaviour but now they cause no problems.”
Another local Maria Sanchez, 37, said: “Since I came to Birmingham in 2014 I have seen stabbings but that’s youngsters not elders.
“The good thing is that when you need help there is always someone to help round here. People look out for one another.”
The streets, however, are filthy with rubbish and dog mess every few paces.
No-one is expecting much to change after Birmingham City Council declared itself bankrupt last year.
On the Villa Road, one homeless man in a shop doorway, stood up, took down his trousers and defecated as shoppers walked on by.
A housewife who did not want to be named, said: “We need more police on the beat.
‘We used to have a local policeman but you rarely see them. Our Prime Minister needs to wake up.
“We have people looting the shops and pensioners fearing they’ll be attacked by some desperado.”
Another 46-year-old mum said: “This used to be a real residential road.
“But now we have the HMOs and a lot of problems with drugs. It is not safe to go out.
The mum-of-seven added: “We had our car exhaust taken. We’d all move if we could.”
But the pub is now back as a beacon for the community.
Mum-of-five Hayley, 37 said: “I am really pleased to see it back but I don’t think it will be like it was.
“It used to be a place for us all and everyone came. We had so much laughter and parties over the years.”
She added: “Of course there were trouble makers but the pub didn’t cause them.
“The last thing to open up around here was a brothel opposite my house.
“So it’s good to see a proper business. We need something decent around here.”
Landlord Howard is an avid Radio 4 listener and father to a teenage girl.
He said: “When I came to this country 24 years ago, I thought it was the greatest, most tolerant place I had ever known.
“I am sorry that is now being lost. Around here you have people trying to close down businesses.
“It doesn’t fit with their world view. I have seen what radical ideas can do in my own country. As a country you need to keep your values.
“To me this is England and The Observatory has been around 120 years so it is worth trying to preserve that.”
Now their challenge is to persuade the council to support them and grant them longer opening hours.
Howard’s brother Mulie, 32, said: “The problem is a lot of our customers work as drivers.
“They want somewhere to go after work but for them that means after 11pm.
“We are not allowed to see alcohol after 11pm which seems really unfair and is holding back the business.”
