An area in Romford has been described as a "ghetto" and is referred to as "murder mile", as former drug houses remain boarded up for years, gang fights often erupt on the streets, and violent crimes take place every day. A reporter from MyLondon, a sister site to EssexLive, visited The Briar housing estate in Harold Hill, accompanied by a local estate agent who has lived in the area for decades.

Estate agent Rosemary Dawson says the streets of the estate and the wider Harold Hill area are filled with gangs who war over the supply of drugs to the many addicts roaming for their next fix and the cash to purchase it. She sees countless homes fail to see because of the location and one viewer tells her he felt "intimidated" just walking down the alleyway, so doesn't feel his wife would be safe living there as she'd be "frightened to come out the front door".

The reason a majority of potential buyers give for not moving forward is always the same: they love the house but have a problem with the area. The front door opens to an alley often filled with the area’s more menacing characters. Rosemary has tried taking people in through the back entrance and playing up the high-end renovation work done by the owners. But there is no escaping the location.