AN area of Worcester has become the target of several nasty TikToks which have labelled it a dump.

But people have leapt to the defence of Ronkswood area which has been made out to be an unpleasant part of the city in several short-form videos. 

The social media clips start the same featuring picturesque photographs of areas of the city such as the Cathedral and Friar Street.

They are then immediately followed by photos of the less instagrammable areas in the city. 

Ronkswood in particular is singled out leading people to jump to its defence.

 

@_aj_.1 #fyp #worcester #wr5s #foryou #foryoupage ♬ Paradise - Ikson

Paul Harding from Discover History has researched Ronkswood and its history before.

He said: "Negative statements will always appear in regard to where people live.

"If we look into the past and read old diary accounts or official documents we see the same.

"Today people turn to Tiktok and other forms of social media to express their views.

"As a historian we learn to look at all the evidence and in particular to question the sources we see. We always say towns, villages and cities are like a set of dice, they have more than one side. 

"The people of York, London, Oxford and Cambridge are very well known Tourist destinations, rich in heritage.

"We will always see and hear how good they are and see all the beautiful buildings, shops and events that take place in them.

"However, just like dice there is always another side. High unemployment, litter, empty shops, graffiti and crime all exist."

"We must always try and be positive about where we live and in some cases help change the way things are.

"That may be helping in a community litter pick, reporting issues such as overflowing bins and graffiti or taking part in Questionnaires about what changes people would like to see.

"I would also recommend voting in a local election, after looking at all the candidates and even asking them their views on something before making a decision who will get your mark.

"We can all help improve where we live."

Councillor James Stanley of Gorse Hill said: "I have friends and colleagues who are from the Ronkswood area.

"It's certainly an area of Worcester that, coming from old Worcester myself, I know and regard dearly."