New Brighton residents and business owners are speaking out over concerns the seaside suburb is becoming a “dumping ground” for criminals.

It follows the stabbing of a man in New Brighton Mall on December 10th, where the victim was taken to hospital in a serious condition.

Police are still trying to find those responsible and no arrests have been made.

A New Brighton social worker, who Chris Lynch Media has agreed not to name, said the local backpackers on Union Street had become ‘somewhat of a dumping ground’ for emergency housing.

“It’s full of people being paroled from prison with mental health and addiction issues.

These people are terrorising locals, begging, fighting, using alcohol on the streets, accosting people for money, and threatening businesses.”

She said “people are scared to be out and about, even vulnerable and elderly people were being ‘hit up’ for money every day.

She said some business owners were scared they were going to be stabbed for trying to deal with anti-social behaviour.

“Police seem unable to do anything about it.”

The social worker said, “we don’t mind having our fair share of these kinds of clients, but right now it’s way out of balance and these people are running the place.”

Donna Stewart, the owner of Switch New Brighton, said the problem was particularly bad during the past six months, although the issues seemed to have quietened down in December.

“The problem is people with really serious mental health issues are staying two or three nights at the backpackers, and then they’d just spill onto the streets, sleeping rough.

They go to the supermarket, buy booze, get absolutely drunk, then go to the community pantry to get their food and then cause chaos.”

Stewart said she had to call police three weeks in a row, but no one turned up.

“One guy threatened to smash us up. He had a wine bottle in his hand and said he was going to come back and smash the windows. I gave police a full description, but they never came.”

Point Break Backpackers Manager Gurjeet Mann said it was unfair for locals to blame the backpackers.

“Those causing the trouble were not actually from the backpackers,” he said.

“We do offer emergency accommodation and we have a contract with the Ministry of Social Development but we have the same problems as other businesses. Those causing trouble sit outside our premises too.”

Mann said “Ministry of Social Development clients were usually very well-behaved while staying at the backpackers.”