‘I feel safe here’ Handsworth locals dismiss Jenrick’s ‘slum with no white faces’ slur

As a fixture in the heart of the Soho Road for more than three decades, Viyaah Accessories has outlived many political eras.

The displays of silk shawls and exquisite bridal jewellery inside the family-run store are a world away from Robert Jenrick’s depiction of Handsworth as the nearest thing he has seen to a ‘slum’ in Britain.

The specialists in Sikh wedding planning and accessories gave Metro a warm welcome as they responded to the Tory MP’s depiction of the Birmingham neighbourhood as an ethnic ghetto.

In common with other traders on the road, marketing manager Jaspal Singh did highlight ongoing problems in the inner-city ward — but not the ones flagged by Mr Jenrick in his leaked remarks.

‘Crime has got worse,’ he said.

‘There were a lot of HMOs [houses of multiple occupation] t