Trouble on the Estate Panorama

THIS PROGRAMME CONTAINS STRONG Getting arrested man, causing

trouble, smashing cars. It's all them smackheads up there. Welcome

to Shadsworth. I terrorized him for, like, the past two year and that.

An estate where kids are growing up in tough times. Do ASBOs work?

do they BLEEP! And families are under pressure. Like Olwen, a

single mum on benefits who says she's unable to work. Pissed off!

I've got better things to do than keep jogging down here every couple

of week looking for a job. Life is already a struggle for her eight-

year-old. When my Dad don't see me, that makes me sad. Like the

Lancasters, where money is tight. After rent, food and bills how much

is left? On Friday, probably about �2. But who want a better life for

their children. Sometimes I cry about it. Why? Because it's not the

way I want to live. And like Sue and Ed. Their eldest son already

fears for his future. What would have happened to you in three, four,

five years? I reckon I probably would end up in prison. And wants

to leave the estate. I do want him All of this when anti-social

behaviour and drugs are at the door. I know 12 years olds who sniff

Bubble. It's dirty. We meet the dealers. How much is that? 20 quid.

And those whose job it is to stop them. Drugs are readily available.

Does that mean you've failed then? No, not at all. Is this a picture

of Broken Britain? We follow life on a tough estate. Kids just grow

up to be like their mum and dad, man. It's not fair, is it? They're

being brought up between drugs and Shadsworth is not some lost estate.

It's full of families with hopes and aspirations. This swimming pool

was saved by the people of the estate. Our children use it every

single day. And it was like what will we do with the kids? Should

they just be on the streets and that? Faced with cuts to the

council budget, the plan was to shut the pool. We decided to set up

petitions to keep it open and we started demonstrations. They fought

hard for the kids. There's a lot of underage drinking and smoking and

drugs. It's such a big thing here. And it's more the under 18s.

they won. But not everything can be The estate faces much bigger

threats. There are problems here that can't be driven away by a

petition or goodwill. Shadsworth sits on the outskirts of Blackburn

in the North-West of England. More than 2,000 people live on the

Everyone who lives here calls it Shad. Even before this recession it

was one of the most deprived places in the country. We've spent months

here with families who have shared their lives with us. Each with

their own story of life on one of Both? Knife? Thank you. I'm going

upstairs now. Olwen Page is a single mum of four. It's teatime

and her youngest son, Oshi, is nowhere to be seen. I wonder where

he's gone? Shithead, isn't he? Olwen was born in Kent but has

spent 20 years on Shad. A series of difficult relationships have

Oshi! I told you not to disappear. Tea's ready. My mate gave me this.

I was battered badly. And it's horrible, you know. You look back

and now I can't believe I put my children through all that. Why I

didn't get out after the first smack in the mouth? First head

butt? I didn't get out. It does me head in. You getting me up for

nowt? I'm not getting you up for nowt. It's not nowt. It's nothing.

And it's not nothing. It's going to college. Two of Olwen's kids have

grown up. But two still depend on her. 17-year-old Alisha. I'm going

to Paradise today, Mum. Paradise, are you? And eight-year-old Oshi.

They have different Dads. Both are absent. Is it nice? No. What do you

mean no? It tastes of wine. Tastes of wine? Yeah. I haven't put any

wine in it. Only joking. It's well good. Yeah, I know. But it's not

better than Liam's mum's. Yeah, it is! You get his mum here and get

her to make one and then we'll see. People can look and say you've got

four kids by three different dads but they haven't walked in my shoes.

You know, and it wasn't like just having kids for the sake of having

Try not to get that down your top cos it might stain. No, no, don't

stain! It won't stain. I'll put it on a 90.

Oshi not seeing his dad and he doesn't understand why, you know. I

think my dad's dead. That's why he doesn't come and see me. And I say,

"He's not dead, Oshi, you know, he's alive and he just doesn't

bother with you." Take that off and I'll get you another t-shirt.

On average, per person, Blackburn has one of the highest welfare

bills in the country. Olwen lives on benefits. She gets around �1,100

a month to support her and her Cheaper! I'll put it back then.

Even for families with a wage coming in it's a struggle. Pork and

pineapple kebabs. Vicky and Andy Lancaster live on the street behind

Olwen. Vicky's been on the Shadsworth estate all her life.

these ones instead? You get eight for �3. Since the recession started,

like the rest of the country, unemployment here has risen. For a

time last year, both Andy and Vicky were out of work and family life

became much harder. �1 for three. We can get six for �2.

It's just like, get paid tomorrow, get the shopping, pay the bills, go

back to work, be skint, back to work. And two weeks' time, do it

all again. 40 for �2. Last a while! Sometimes I cry about it. Why?

Vicky used to work as a shop assistant until being laid off.

felt like my world had been shattered because we had so many

plans. She now stays at home with their two children, Libby and Leon.

Get your bags. Andy had a job in a factory and now works part-time as

a cleaner. But his is the only wage How hard is it when it's tight like

it is now? I get just short of �100 per week. We put in enough gas and

electric to last a week. We pay two bills, and there's not much left,

really, is there? So after rent, food and bills, how much is left?

It's half-term week and further down the road, a front garden is

full of children. This is the Morrison house. They can be

annoying, very annoying. Especially Edward Morrison and Sue Kirkham

have lived on the estate for 13 years. They have four boys aged

between 10 and 15. When we first moved here it was right nice and

quiet and after all these years it's gone bad. Ed and Sue want to

leave the estate. They think the longer they're on Shadsworth, the

worse it will be for their boys. Well, don't do it then! Sort it out.

No trouble round here or I'll beat It's just all their friends and the

attitude of their friends. All of a sudden someone will have taken a

bike off them or stole something off them, stole their mobile phone

off them. It makes you more determined to get away from this

place. He wants to ring Aunty Amanda. He wants to stay at Aunty

Amanda's. I didn't want move really, to be honest. But now, all of a

sudden, I can't take it no more. I want to move. I said to Edward,

"I'd like to move off here as soon as we can. I've got fed up of it. I

can't take no more." You have to beat up this guy. Strong. Is he

proper strong? Not proper strong. The eldest of the Morrison's four

boys is 15-year-old Jordan. He's desperate to get away from the

estate. And the trouble. When I were 10-ish, it used to be OK. Cos

now I'm 15, it's gone pretty rough. Yeah, out on the pedal bikes, skate

Vicky and Andy also worry about how their eight-year-old son Leon might

be influenced by life on the estate. Thank you, mummy. Leon, he's easily

led. He's at that age where if someone said to him, "You do this"

he probably would try and do Ireland's on again tonight but you

won't be able to watch it because you'll be in bed. Some parents

don't care what their children do. Grafitti on everything and harass

other neighbours. One of our neighbours just moved recently

because of harassment. Just across the road actually. So they just

don't care what they're doing. some find it harder to avoid the

I go out and stay to meself and let He has learning difficulties and

lives alone. They try to wind me up knocking at door and running. Or

banging at door, banging at windows and running. They think, "Oh, he'll

come out and give them a mouthful." And how often does that happen?

mostly every night. It's like screaming at the top of their

voices. "Big fat bastard. Pervert." You name it they say it. And it's

children stand outside your house and shout at you? Yeah, from nine

My problem is the long ginnel up Or like Janet who's targeted

because of where her house is. the throwing stuff over. I'd be hit

with stones. I've been hit with People coming over and using it

like a toilet. It's disgusting. I hate it. I absolutely hate where I

And this is what causes so much In Shadsworth, anti-social

behaviour accounts for more than half of all incidents dealt with by

the police. This group are throwing Alan! Jessie Volkert is notorious

on Shadsworth as a trouble maker. About age 14, innit? Growing up and

that watching all the older lots and growing up and stuff. Obviously

you want to be like them. And, I don't know, it's weird. Jessie was

part a gang that, for a time, terrorized the estate. The police

used anti-social behaviour orders to try to control them. Jessie is

still on his. We'll say we're thugs but we want to sort ourselves out.

But we've been brought up in the gutter, you know what I mean?

ASBO bans him from parts of the estate. But Jessie blatantly

ignores it. Do ASBOs work? Do they lock! I'm

not allowed all way round here. Yeah, I'm not allowed up there. I'm

not allowed up there or nothing. You're not allowed here. Lock em

anyway. I'm barred from everywhere. Every street, everywhere except for

one. My route home, innit? Jessie and the gang were at their worst

when they targetted the estate's shopkeeper. 10, 15 outside, used to

be loads. You know, shouting and screaming, saying swear words.

Throwing eggs on us when we standing on the till. It was really

bad. Terrorising him all the time, and stealing crates of beer and

shit and getting off. Terrorised him for the past two years.

Sometimes racist comments as well. Black bastard, Taxi, things like

that. Did they threaten you? Yeah, they did they did threaten me. They

would say, "We're going to burn your shop". Smile for the camera!

Go on, let's have a smile. Though the police cracked down on Jessie

and the gang, anti-social behaviour eats away at estates like

Shadsworth. And families worry about their children getting sucked

in. Honestly, just got out of control, innit? Sniffing and that.

Taking coke every day when I was a kid and that. Got out of order and

shit. Only out four-week of jail and got a recall for six month back

to prison and that. Got back. I were out for six week. Got a recall

back to prison and that. Got back out and got done for possession of

firearm and locking back in jail and that. And I'm now, innit, on

licence and shit. I don't want none of that. Lock that. But I know I'm

going to end up back inside by the end of this week or whatever.

the end of this week? Probably, yes. It's longest I've stayed out of

jail. How long have I been out of jail now, Smithy? About a week and

a half. About a week and a half. I'm proud I'm still out. And days

later, Jessie was back inside, accused of theft, criminal damage

Lock off, Moorey, bang! Jake Walsh was part of Jessie's

What would you want to do though? Don't know! Alan, you can get on

TV! He was 14 back then. Oi, he's got a camera! Now he's 17, he lives

off the estate but still comes back What do you come back to Shad for?

See my mates and my mum. What do you do here? Just hang around with

What was your childhood like? Crazy! Why was it crazy? Getting

arrested, man. Causing trouble smashing cars, smoking drugs.

sort of age are we talking about? When I started getting into

trouble? About 10, 11, 12. 12, the first time I got arrested, I think.

Why were you doing all these things? Bored. Nothing to do.

I get bored but I don't go smashing cars. But you're older, innit?

That's what kids do. When did you stop doing that? Getting took into

There are other ways of trying to Do you want some skins? I've got

enough. Four or five? Look I'm going. From the age of 11, Olwen's

daughter Alisha was involved in anti-social behaviour. Bye, mucky

I used to get in trouble a lot. Get chases and stuff. Get in with the

wrong crowd. Like, if you're chucking stones at windows they'll

come and chase you. Like, cos there was nowt to do, so used to go round

in gangs. I'm not saying she was innocent. She was hanging around

with them when they were doing it. It's just as bad as doing it.

That's what I told her. Breaking fences, chucking little stones at

windows, calling people, all sorts. I dreaded Alisha going out. I

dreaded her going to school. I dreaded the phone ringing saying,

"Can you come up?" There was just no talking to Alisha. Alisha and I

didn't know each other. Like she just was not my child. It was a

really bad time. Alisha's trouble causing on the

estate only stopped when the family was warned they could be evicted.

My mum was going to lose her house it got that bad, so I had to stay

in or else we were going to lose the house. I just found it better.

I stayed in with DVDs and chilled They just had me down at meetings

saying, "If this goes on you will lose your house." Awful, awful. I

kept her in for three months. I thought, "If I keep her in she

Bloody move! Not funny. Meant to be bloody holidays. Get to sleep in

bed. But how the friggin hell can ya? Oh, stop being so grumpy!

They've been awake a while. Yeah, but I bloody weren't hearing knock

The Morrisons' eldest son Jordan has had enough of the estate. He's

left the family home and Sue wants him back. I do miss you, lad. I

would like you back home, you know? Yeah I know. So why can't you?

don't know, Mum. I used to enjoy your help in house and going

shopping with us. I'm going, Mum, cos I'm watching Jeremy Kyle.

will you let me know? I don't know. Though he's only 15, Sue can't stop

He's moved to his aunt's a mile away. And is now much nearer to his

girlfriend. He says Shadsworth means trouble. And he's determined

not to go back. When I don't go out I stay out of trouble and it's all

right. But if I go out I end up bricking their houses windows and

bricking cars. Tell us what happened? I was with

my mates near a park. A car drove past and I threw a brick at it. It

didn't smash or owt, but it dented the side of car and scratched it.

They stopped, came over, and said, "Good job that weren't the window.

If I had a passenger could have be killed or summat." You say there's

trouble on the estate but the trouble most people are frightened

of is you and your mates? I only came up here to get away from all

my mates and now I've got new mates. If you stayed on the estate, where

do you think you'd be in three or four or five years? I reckon I

The Morrisons are also worried about their second son, Mark. That,

at 13, he too is on the wrong track. They stress me out. I feel like

killing them. I think anybody would. This is what it's like. If Edward

was here he'd say, "Don't talk to your mum like that". They say,

"Well, she deserves it at times." No, he wouldn't. He'd say, "Shut up

going on". He's the worst one of the lot. That stresses me out.

Mark's behaviour has already got He's had quite a few fights at

school, hasn't he? He's hit a teacher on one occasion. What did

you think when you heard that? was shocked. I grounded him and

keeping him in and stay away from You hurt a teacher, didn't you?

What happened to the teacher? been messing in queue, yeah? So

then I went there one day for my dinner and he wouldn't let me so I

hit him. What, in the face? here. What did you hit him with?

Oshi too has had problems. Earlier this year he was permanently

excluded from school and is now taught in a unit for difficult kids.

A reasonable day but missed a lot of golden time due to having to

Why are you starting to be naughty? I'm not. Olwen thinks school hasn't

worked for Oshi. I didn't want him going to school.

Wanted him with me. So he had a lot of time off. What was going through

your head to keep him off school? You must know that was harming him?

No, because when they go to school your children change and I didn't

want him changing. I didn't want outside influence in him, you know.

I don't see why they have to go to Jordan Morrison has had problems at

school as well, so two days a week he comes here to Fernhurst on the

Some of the children here have difficult backgrounds. Exclusion,

violence and anti-social behaviour. All right, lads, you all right?

Where you off to this morning? Are you not going out? Saw you coming

off your bike the other day. It was a classic.

George Sinclair is the head at Fernhurst, which steps in when

children in local mainstream schools are struggling.

There are a lot of children whose lives are blighted by the

addictions of their parents. Their lives are blighted by difficult

family circumstances, broken homes or where children are in care.

There are a whole range of things Don't forget that this work that

you are doing, you are pretending, lads, you are pretending that you

are the instructor and you're in charge of a group taking us out

rock-climbing. The classes are smaller and the

kids learn through activities. assessment. Mountain-biking. Come

on, let's have a look. It is a more expensive to send children to

Fernhurst. But should troubled kids get more resources? It's about

giving them encouragement, and that hope that they can do it. It's very

difficult to breakdown that cycle of deprivation, that lack of

aspiration, that's not just on estates in Blackburn, but across

the country. Come on, open the door. It's the

police! The school can only do so much. Where the kids live is where

the real challenges are. The reason we've got a drugs

warrant is that we've got information that you've been

growing cannabis. On Shadsworth, the police are

raiding a flat. They've been tipped off that drugs are being grown here.

Are you aware of the plants in the back? I'm aware someone's using

He pleads horticultural ignorance. A guy I know from the pub he just

said, "Can I..." I just thought Everyone we meet on the estate says

drugs are pretty much everywhere. And not just cannabis.

Drugs are rife on the estate. They're everywhere. Cannabis. Skunk.

Bubble. Coke. Do you worry about your children growing up in that

atmosphere? Yeah, but you can only teach them, can't you? The dangers,

the awareness, and I'm very open with my children. Because you smoke

weed, don't you? Yes, I do smoke weed. And I think the ones that do

smoke weed are just placid, no bother, no trouble because they're

Give us it now, you locking speccy bastard! Dan, take his ankles out!

All I've done is weed. That's all I ever do. Cannabis, man. Even the

young ones know all about drugs. You go on that park on that

football pitch and ask one kid about drugs, they'll tell you

everything about it, man. Kids just grow up to be their mum and dad.

It's not fair, is it? They're being brought up between drugs and hate.

So how much do the police know about drug use on the estate?

a very difficult question, is that, actually. I would much rather

prefer to say there are people living in Shadsworth who have drug

Do people deal drugs on street corners in Shadsworth openly? Very

Well, this is a street corner on Shadsworth. I didn't owe you

locking �20! What? Outside the main shopping parade, a group are

arguing about drugs. Why did you get another 20 quid off him?

said he'd do me a good deal, right, and he'd give me 90 for �40 and I

paid him. You give him 20. Within minutes of arriving at the shops,

we were offered some. Do you like your wiz? Yeah, love some.

after any? Yeah, yeah. You got some? Oh, of course I've got some,

mate. "Wiz", or amphetamine, is a Class B drug. That's a gram there.

I'll give it you for a fiver now, innit? It's good tackle as well.

Trust me, mate, trust me. I say just take it easy with that stuff,

mate. It's sending me locking round bend, honestly, like burning meself

and shit like that. But there's one drug the whole estate is talking

about. Bubble. It's a cheap, manufactured chemical that used to

be legal. Now it's banned. Bubble. There's a lot of people on that, is

there? Everyone's on it, everyone takes it. This one, this one...

Simon is 18. So is his friend, Danny. Anthony is 21. They've all

grown up on Shadsworth. Do you take it? I don't take it, no. Why do

they all take it? Because it's cheap and it's a like a quick rush

at the weekends. What does it do to you? People sniff it. Do you know

like crystals? It's just dirty, horrible. You say everybody takes

it. What age groups take it? Like 13 to old men, innit? Everyone.

is it everywhere on this estate? Everywhere, everywhere. Where do

they get the money from, then? lived in Shad all my life and a lot

of young-uns do go out and nick stuff for the drugs. Like Anthony

said, 13. I know 12-year-olds that sniff Bubble. It's dirty. People

sell their mobile phones and stuff for it. They'll swap anything they

can get their hands on. You get addicted to it do you? Everyone's

addicted to it. It used to be everyone used to have it at

weekends but now everyone's on it every day. Come here! It's meant to

go on my belly button. Come here! Who wears things up there now?

Simon Cowell. Not you. Olwen's daughter Alisha says Bubble is just

a part of life here. I smoke cannabis. I don't take no hardcore

drugs like Bubble and stuff. It's like cocaine but it gets you more

wired, I think, something. You don't need to have a lot of it and

I don't know... It's dangerous. lots of people take that? Yeah,

when you're drinking, cos it sobers you up when you drink, so they mix

it. And Bubble was easy to get hold Outside the same parade of shops,

we got talking to a man called Eddie, who says his son's a dealer.

Yeah, I can get it all the time. You can get it all the time? Yeah,

he's my son who does it. Your son, yeah? Yeah, I put everybody on to

him, do you know what I mean? He's the biggest dealer around here.

Have you got ya... What ya after? Got a tenner? Yeah, I have, yeah,

yeah, yeah. Thanks very much. Eddie takes us to a house and tells us to

wait around the corner. Sorted. Yeah. Roll it out. It's all

crystals. �10 for a gram of Bubble. Told it was a good deal, didn't I?

We want to meet the dealer. What's the number? If you need it, phone

it. Have you got a pen? And two days later we call. What do you

want? Jay and I wondered if we could get a couple of bags?

want two? Yeah. Our order is delivered by the man Eddie says his

son, Chris. Is it this fella? these two lads here. One or two?

Two, please, mate. Can you give them the number? How much is that?

�20. I think that's what I've got. We contacted Chris McKenzie and,

despite what we'd seen, he denied dealing in drugs. We have recovered

and seized this compound from people up in Shadsworth, as we have

It would be wrong to say on Shadsworth it's absolutely

commonplace and everybody is basically consuming those types of

drugs. Our team was offered drugs. That doesn't surprise me, that

doesn't surprise me. But there are relatively speaking small numbers

of people engaging in this type of The drugs on the estate are cheap.

A fiver's all you need. This is a poor area. Yes. Ha! I'm having spam.

Spam. Nearly a third of people in Blackburn of working age are not in

work much higher than the national average. He's split up with Nicola.

That's why he's stressing, isn't it? Olwen's not working and neither

is her eldest daughter. Hello... Rhiannon also lives on the estate.

You look ever so pretty. She, too, is a single mum to six-year-old

Ellie-Mae. In two weeks' I'm going on holiday with my bike and you.

Where's the poxy bus? Olwen hasn't had a job for eight years. She's

been called into the job centre and Rhiannon goes with her. Two singles

to town, please. Because she's been on benefits for a long time, she

has to attend regular interviews. haven't had one this quick, you

know what I mean? It's just usually every six months. It's only three

weeks since Olwen's last appointment. She's not happy at

being called back. Nervous. Upset. Pissed off. Why? Because I've got

better things to be doing with my time than keep jogging down here

every couple of week looking for a job. Olwen's last job was working

an hour a day as a school lunch assistant. You only got paid for

the hour but you leave at half-11. That's half an hour. You're not

getting out til half-one so that's really like two hours' work you've

done. You can't go to town to do what you've got to do because

you've got to go to school to do your job. I don't know. I don't

think there's enough incentive to get back to work. It's just an

headache. Locking horrendous, RAPPING: These days, man, it's hard

to prevail... Danny, Simon and Anthony are also not working.

That's all I'm doing man, cos I'm locking... What does a normal day

involve? I wake up at eight, run a bath. I have a nice joint while I'm

in the bath. Go to the gym if he's awake. There's nothing. Just

nothing. Nothing for no-one round here. I don't know anyone that

works hardly. There's about three or four people I know work but

they're not our age, they're your age. Old. Everyone young from about

16-30 is out of work round here. Everyone. There's hardly no-one

that works. Why? Why does nobody work? Cos there is no jobs.

there are jobs to be had. They just don't pay well. The average weekly

wage here in Blackburn is one of the lowest in the country. When

Andy Lancaster lost his factory job, he found work as a cleaner. It took

us ages to find a job. I got a cleaning job, which was the first

one to came along, so I just took it. I'd rather have a job than look

for a job. Andy does two cleaning jobs a day, earning around �100 a

week. Tax credits help people on low incomes. They double Andy's

wages. But government spending cuts mean fewer people now qualify.

got paid last Wednesday and my wage was gone by Friday. We're looking

to book a holiday but it's not going to happen. We just get the

brochures. That's as far as we go cos can't afford. Just look at

pictures, really. Hello! Hi, Dad. Did you have a nice day? It's been

all right, sweetheart. Glad I'm home. Would you be better on

benefits? Have you considered that? Yeah, probably. You get more

handouts on benefits. You get rent paid, no council tax to pay. That

does my head in because they're the ones who can always afford things.

Yeah, the handouts. I wish I could have handouts. I have to work for

my handout. It's daft. Probably the majority of people on this estate

don't work and the people that do work ain't afford a lot, which I

Oh, don't read out, man. Oh, did you put it on Facebook? I'm getting

shagged! Why are you not getting shagged? With average wages in this

area so low, some don't seem the point in working. Only jobs are

cleaning jobs in Burnley, and you don't want to do that.

interviewed a bloke and he only earns the same as benefits. Would

you work for the same as benefits? No. Why? Why when you can get

benefits? It's not a great way to think but why go to all that

effort? It's common sense. But work ethic. It's that sense you get from

working. What, tired? Getting up early in the morning? But you earn

a wage. Does that appeal to you? It's only better off going to work

if you're actually better off in the pocket. There's nothing I want

to do, and you're not going to put all that effort into something you

don't want to do. What did you want to do when you were growing up?

When I were young I wanted to be a firefighter but I ended up being an

arsonist when I were younger. is back from the job centre. So how

did it go? Feel relieved. I just think right they're off my back for

eight weeks if I'm lucky. If this lunchtime he'd said, "Here's a job,

start tomorrow morning", how would that have felt? I would have said,

"You're having a laugh". I'm on that much medication. I take anti-

depressants and take them at night, so therefore I'm tired in the

morning. It's enough energy to get the child off to school to think

about what's going on with the day, do the shopping. Just getting

They've got no deals. Usually have deals on. Haven't got any deals?

Even those with a wage, like Vicky and Andy, have to constantly juggle

money to pay the bills. 20 on each. No, we're �5 in credit on electric.

No, put ten on electric. No, 20 on each. No, 20 on gas, ten on

electric. There's not much spare cash. Can we have �20 on that one?

Any extra demand on the family purse brings problems, and in the

past they've turned to doorstep loans. We've got two kids to buy

for. We were struggling. And Leon's birthday. Yeah, Leon's birthday is

two days after Christmas so we had to get that extra loans in and

stuff, so we could get the extras to make their life happy, and we're

still paying back now. But being in debt only added to their financial

worries. How much did you borrow? 500. Over how long? A year. And how

much did you pay back? 52 weeks... About �900 altogether, so about

Vicky and Andy don't want their children to struggle as they have.

When you think of the future for Libby and Leon, will they be on

Shadsworth? I don't want them to be on this estate. It's gone down this

much in 30 years I've lived here. What's it going to be like when

they're older? I think it's going to get a lot, lot worse. I'd like

to have them good education. The schools are good round here, so

which is always a good thing, you know, and hopefully they will go on

and get a good life for themselves, you know. I wish I had gone to

college and Uni. That's just me. I couldn't be bothered but I want

them to go. Leon always asks, "Mum, why didn't you go to college?"

scoring me. You've missed one. need him to go and do something to

better himself, so whether it be in this country or in another country,

as long as he is successful in whatever he does, that's my main

Saved by the goalie!There'll be no pocket money tomorrow! Clean your

teeth! A few doors away, Olwen, too, finds life difficult. Are you done?

So difficult that she gets special support from a scheme co-ordinated

by the council. It's all about intervening early. Come on!

Nationally, the Government is rolling out a similar project to

help 120,000 of what it calls "troubled families"... Who it says

cost �9 billion a year. Is that not going to be too high, all those

pillows? Olwen has been helped with basic parenting skills. Things like

getting Oshi to sleep in his own bed. God bless, good night.

bless, good night. Love you, too. Love your smelly bones. I was

really down. Not in a very nice place, felt I couldn't cope with

the world and all its troubles, and they decided to put these people in

place to help with me, help with Oh, Oshi! Do yer spellings! "Went"

- W-E... Olwen has also been helped by the Housing Association. Good

boy. So S-O... They got me carpets, they got me two skips so I could

have a clear-out of absolutely everything, they paid for wallpaper

and took me out to get paint. Just helped me so I could just feel

better in myself. Oh, Osh, we're off now, darling! Blackburn Council

says it's got ring-fenced government money to help more

families. But all services here are under pressure. The council's

budget has been cut by �33 million and up to 1,000 jobs could go.

a super day! Love you lots! And as part of the Government's austerity

measures, across all agencies there will be more cuts. All right? You

OK? Hello, hello. Sometimes he is! And Shadsworth, like everywhere

else, will feel them. It's very rare to catch him that way. What

you been drinking? England. You've been drinking England?! French beer.

Lancashire Police have had to lose jobs. More than 500 so far. Hey,

stop swearing! That's out of order! You know, we've got to be honest

about this and say we are in a different place than we were two or

three years ago. The cuts are here for a purpose. We have to find

savings in order to support the rest of the country. Where are you

off to now? You off home? Yeah, he's going home. In Lancashire, we

have taken some staff off the front line because we've had no choice.

But most of our savings currently have come from back office

functions. OK, Malc, checked everything's in order. You're free

Hit it, on me arse! Olwen, too, is worried about the future. Oshi's

been out of mainstream schooling since he hurt a teacher and was

permanently excluded from primary school. On the Tuesday he got

accused of strangling a boy. He was sent to this teacher. Apparently he

was shouted at. You've had your hands round this boy's throat. He

came in from school on Tuesday evening and said he hadn't done it.

Fight me like a man! Fight me like a man! Fight me like a man! He went

on the Friday. Apparently he'd been in trouble with these children in

the playground. They then wanted to send him to this teacher that had

told him off for the Tuesday incident. He then ran off into the

toilets. This teacher's then pushed the toilet cubicle door. He said,

"f off", and pushed the door in her face and bust her lip. Oshi, I give

up now. I give up now, Oshi. I give up right. Did you punish him when

he was excluded? No, I didn't. Don't cry, boy, don't cry. He knows

what he did was wrong. It's no good me bringing him home here and

saying, "You're not going on Xbox, you're not going out, you're not

having any sweets". What good is that going to do? It might teach

him a lesson. Yes, but he's just been excluded from school. Hasn't

he learnt his lesson there? He's not going to see his friends any

more. Olwen is considering home- schooling Oshi. The thing he wants

most is to see his dad. When my dad doesn't see me, that makes me sad.

When was the last time you saw your dad, then? When it were my birthday.

Why don't you see him? Because he couldn't be bothered to see me.

you miss him? Yeah. When do you think you'll see him next? Never.

Well, you might. How would that make you feel if you saw him?

Do you think about it a lot? Yeah. What do you think about? Cos I can

remember the times when he did see me. What was it like the last time

you saw your dad? Good. Well, not that good cos he only saw me for

about one minute. It was my birthday. I was sat on the floor

and he sat on the floor, and then he just went. He gave my presents

and then he just went. What did he say to you when he left? Nothing. I

said, "Can you come and see me one day?" And he never did. Oshi's dad

told us he thought it was better to Is it just T-shirts you need, then,

lad? Jordan has come back home, but only briefly. To pick up more

clothes. What have you been doing at Fernhurst today? Nowt. Just gone

bike riding. Kyle, behave. No. just explained to him that I look

at that picture when I'm listening to music and I get upset. Jordan,

does it make you sad to see your Mum upset? Yeah. Josh, please will

you go down. OK. Say "excuse me", Josh. Just did. Dad. He leaves,

back to his new home, away from I do want him back but he won't

come back. Mark's even told him, "Mum misses you and wants you back",

haven't you, lad? And what's he say? "No". He says, "I'm not being

funny, Mum, I can't come back up OK, guys, let's go! Jordan's in his

last year at Fernhurst. He's on a school trip to the Yorkshire Dales.

We can do all sorts. We can do walking, mountain-biking. We've not

long ago come back from France skiing, kayaking, gorge-walking,

The last time we saw pair of dippers was right up at Ingleton

Falls, and the situation is very Even though the kids live just an

hour from here, if they don't come out with us, they would never even

know places like this existed. Bringing them out here actually

makes them thrive. It's nice and Why can't I get a job there?

Because you're at college. Well, you could do, you could do nights

but... Olwen sees no escape for her. Yeah, six till two in the morning.

I am stuck here. It's my own fault I'm stuck here. It's not the place

I want to live or choose to live but I am here and I'm stuck here,

and I've got to make the most of what I've got. Do I look forward to

anything? No. Am I happy about anything? No. I just live day to

day and that's the upbeat of it. Is it coming off? No, it's too

tight. You need a good pair to get it off. At the Morrisons', Ed says

he needs to leave. He's says he's got a house away from Shadsworth

and is threatening to go on his own. Well, I'm sorted. I've got the

house sorted to move but just see how things go with these. The two

little ones are all right. It's just Mark the way he is. What's the

big boots on for? Take them off. said to them, I said, "Your dad's

embarrassed cos of the way you are, to take you to new house". I said,

"I want to go to this new house and I reckon if I were on my own, if

Eddie did leave, I reckon I won't be able to cope with Mark. Others I

can handle. It's just Mark I can't control. Mark's the only one I

can't control, whereas Edward can.Mark's brother gone. Now his

For these families, staying together, paying the bills, wanting

more life on the estate is a struggle. Shadsworth is no