Signs of sexual exploitation at Haymarket and Hay Hill says council

Karen Smith, a safety officer for Norwich City Council, made the bombshell statement during a discussion about the safety of children in the city centre.

She said: "We have spotted some signs of criminal and sexual exploitation among some of the young people that are out in the Haymarket and Hay Hill areas.

Hay Hill in Norwich (Image: Dan Grimmer)

"So the targeted youth support services are there to actually go out engage with them and get the children involved in diversionary activities."

But the police said they have not had such reports and their concerns are primarily to do with antisocial behaviour - which has led to increased patrols and collaboration with the council.

A spokeswoman for Norfolk Police said: "We have had no recent reports of sexual or criminal exploitation in Hay Hill and the Haymarket.

"However, we were aware of children and young people taking part in behaviour, including underage drinking and drug taking, which could put their safety at risk.

"Our concerns have led to increased patrols and working with the local authority to address the increase in anti-social behaviour and prevent harm to those socialising in the area.

Concerns were raised over young people congregating in the areas (Image: Robbie Bennett)

"This work is ongoing and the Haymarket and Hay Hill will remain as a policing hotspot under Op Focus.

"We know how impactful it is to have officers visibly patrolling and the real impact it can have on reducing crime.

"We will continue to work alongside partners and using our resources to strengthen our relationships with the local community and help everyone to feel safe and confident in the city centre."

Norwich City Council has refused to clarify what was said in the scrutiny meeting held on 27 November 2025 for "operational reasons".

However, a spokeswoman for the council said: “We continue to work closely with the police regarding the ongoing concerns over antisocial behaviour occurring at Hay Hill and the Haymarket area.”

The council would not clarify what was said in the meeting (Image: Steve Adams)

Last month, police and council officials contacted every primary and secondary school following complaints about huge groups of young people congregating in Haymarket and Hay Hill.

They are asking the schools to distribute the letter to parents, urging them to make sure they know what their children are up to, in an effort to reduce the numbers heading to the area, near McDonald's and Next.

A Freedom of Information request submitted by this newspaper found that police were called to the square 386 times in 2025 – the most in the last seven years.

The next highest number of callouts was 267 in 2019.

Hay Hill is surrounded by shops and eateries, including Primark, Next and McDonald’s.