People have defended their neighbourhood after national media reports said the area was rife with drug dealing, yobs and crime.

Residents of St Peters, Leicester, say they are shocked by dozens of newspaper articles featuring pictures of alleged drug deals and violent attacks near their homes.

The media frenzy, which reached papers as far afield as the Washington Post in America, began after community watchdog St Peters Neighbourhood Monitoring (SPNM) began posting the photographs on their website.

Now, residents and community associations want to "set the record straight".

Resident Gulnar Nizamundin, 27, said: "I don't want people thinking I live in a place which is full of drugs and violence.

"If I'm walking through the estate at night, I feel quite safe, even when I'm with my nine-month-old daughter."

Razie Shekh, 50, said: "I've been here since 2004, and even in that time I've seen an improvement.

"St Peters is a really nice place to live and people are queuing to get flats here.

"Of course there are some problems, but everywhere has issues."

Dozens of news organisations, including the Daily Mail, the Sun and the BBC, reported that the group was filming drug deals and attacks and posting the videos on the internet.

Ebrahim Jasat, secretary of the St Peters Tenants' and Residents' Association, said: "We, as a grassroots organisation, who represent over 850 households on this estate, totally disagree with these unfounded shocking stories. Tenancy on this estate is like gold."

Kamina Rughani, neighbourhood housing manager, said the last vacant property had more than 80 bids from prospective tenants.

Ward councillor Hanif Aqbany said: "The stories that went into the papers were very exaggerated."

Police say that last year, 82 people were charged with 410 drugs offences in the Highfields and Spinney Hill areas of Leicester, which includes St Peters.

Crime figures show that between April and June there was a 38 per cent reduction in total crime, compared to the same period last year.

Reported crimes reduced from 597 to 371 in that period.

A police spokeswoman said: "Our primary concern regarding the activities of this (monitoring) group is safety. We discourage anyone from putting themselves in a position which could place them at risk."

Monitoring group spokesman Albert Berer said: "I wonder how desperate the police and council are to paint a positive picture of reality.

"That publicity had a positive effect on the neighbourhood, I haven't seen any drug-dealing for two weeks, that's unheard of."

*Do you live in St Peters? Let us know what you think by calling 0116 222 4274 or e-mailing:

peterwarzynski@leicestermercury.co.uk