Our quaint town is a ‘flea pit’ as drug dealers take over shops & machete-wielding teens run riot we fear for our lives [Video]

IT is the quaint-looking home to a world-famous carnival, but Bridgwater is gaining a more unpleasant reputation for balaclava-clad gangs and teenage yobs wielding machetes.

Locals in the Somerset town are terrified to walk the streets after dark, with some even avoiding the troubled high street during daylight hours.

This situation has got so bad that town council leader Brian Smedley recently raised the escalating anti-social behaviour with local police, the homeless department, and the town wardens.

Residents and businesses say the ‘flea pit’ town has become overrun by gangs of youngsters, drug dealing, street drinking and shoplifting.

Becky Webber, 35, manager of …