FAST food, drink and unemployment appear to be sapping the life out of Middlehaven.

Situated just outside Middlesbrough's busy town centre, young people roam the streets while smoking, drinking cheap alcohol and dealing drugs.

The area's main street, Borough Road, boasts five takeaways in just 200 yards.

The estate is even famous for inventing its own fast food, the Parmo — deep-fried chicken covered in bechamel sauce and cheese.

Single mum Victoria Baker, 19, is desperate to find a job so she can escape the poverty and improve the quality of life for her young son.

She recently finished a course in childcare at college and volunteers in a charity shop to gain work experience. Despite living off benefits, she tries to buy the healthiest food she can for her 13- month-old son Adrian.

Boredom leads to alcohol ... Stephen Harker and Tooley Russell

North News & Pictures

Victoria says: "There's too many fast food outlets and parents can't be bothered to cook so they just send their kids to get take-aways instead.

"It's rare that we get a take-away — they are too expensive. This place has a really bad drink and drugs problems. It needs more youth clubs.

"You even see eight-year-olds on the streets with cans of lager on an evening because their parents can't be bothered with them.

"It's shocking to think Adrian could have a short life but I'm going to make sure he doesn't."

Retired scaffolder Dave Weston, 67, is more than five years over the average life expectancy for a man his age in Middlehaven.

And he reckons he and his wife Jacqueline, 62, are among the oldest folk in the area.

Dave says: "It doesn't surprise me that people don't live long here. Most people here aren't old.

"People don't eat the food they should be eating. They turn to drugs and drink.

"We have police raiding homes for drug dealers every other week."

Grandma-of-five Jacqueline adds: "We love a Parmo ourselves but it's about everything in moderation."

However, the short life expectancy doesn't bother unemployed Sarah Gibson, 19. She says: "You've got to live life to the full. You could die the next day. I'm not bothered about living healthily, I just do what I want."

Location, location, location ... can add years to your life

Stephen Harker, 25, is also unemployed. He can't find a job and spends his days drinking in the street because he claims there's nothing else to do.

He says: "It's a dump around here. Someone needs to get it sorted otherwise it's going to be riddled with crime."

His friend Tooley Russell, 22, adds: "People live really unhealthily. They can't find jobs so they get bored and eat. They live off takeaways. You'll find a takeaway on every corner."

Diamond Road on the run-down terraced estate has an entire side of boarded-up houses.

The area has no trees or parks and residents complain there are no community facilities. There are plenty of parking spaces but these are largely empty as the jobless majority can't afford to drive.

The area's main pub is boarded-up as residents turn to the cheaper option of buying their own drink at one of the many off-licences selling cut-price booze.

This includes large bottles of cheap perry, costing less than £2, which locals swig in the street.

A regeneration project is earmarked for Middlehaven.

Hopefully, this will change things for the better in years to come.