Kent: "In the last few years it’s turned into Beirut"

Kent: "In the last few years it's turned into Beirut" Via Kent News: Folkestone residents have spoken at their shock at the fatal stabbing of an Afghan man in the street last night. People have described the area of town where the killing happened as 'a no go area after dark'. One man died and five are in hospital after the fight which is believed to be the culmination of weeks of friction between rival Afghan gangs. They say the area around the former harbour has become a hotbed of problems between rival gangs and is notorious for drug taking. The flats behind the hotel, which overlooks the harbour, are used to house asylum seekers and foreign nationals. Many of the qwindows are boarded up. Tina Alder, who lives in one of the flats overlooking the scene of the fight saw the aftermath of the brawl. She said: "I didn't actually see a fight, I just saw a couple of lads lying in the road. I couldn't see what state they were in but my partner ran out with some towels to try and help them. "It was then we heard the sirens of the police and ambulances and after that we kept ourselves to ourselves." Other locals say it is not safe to walk the streets after 9pm and in recent months problems in the area have got worse. One local said: "This used to be a holiday town but in the last few years it's turned into Beirut. This could be such a nice place, all these old buildings and it's been left to go to ruin." (source)