By Jamie Brassington

Copyright birminghammail

The rain gently pours down over the town centre, providing a grey and murky backdrop to a place named among the poorest areas in England. The speckled-grey pavements shimmer with a dull glow, while the tyres of passing vehicle quietly hiss over the soaked tarmac. There’s a hustle and bustle about the outdoor market in West Bromwich, despite it being late on a weekday morning, a time of week generally considered less busy for shopping. READ MORE: Beloved butchers says final day will be ’emotional’ after facing ‘sky high costs’ Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp , click the link to join However embarking upon the stretch of High Street heading northwards, the crowds quieten down as the main shopping area fades away into the distance. A handful of people trickle by on either side of the road, passing fast-food shops, a college and a scenic garden overlooking Sandwell Council’s register office. According to official government stats, the borough is the ninth most-deprived local authority in the whole of England. Here, life is considered a daily struggle for thousands of households. The most recent figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal that one in five residents in Sandwell, or 21.5% of the local population, are considered ‘income-deprived’. Asked what it was like living here, residents walking up and down the High Street painted a mixed picture. “It has gone downhill,” said a mum from nearby Oldbury, who was visiting the town centre with her son. She said they avoided travelling to West Bromwich unless necessary, adding: “Before, my son wanted to go to town but we saw a lot of trouble down the bottom. “I said, forget that, we’re going home.” Meanwhile, a man, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I don’t really face any issues myself, but I’m not surprised by those stats – it’s Birmingham innit.” He added: “I see a lot of homeless people, the Government could do more to help.” A woman, who’d just moved to the area, said: “It’s crap. “I’m not even from around here, I’ve just moved from Leeds, but it’s crap.” While a pensioner, from Blackheath, said he preferred not to go out and kept himself to himself. Dressed in orange high-vis clothing, a cleaner walked along the pavement, placing pieces of litter into a plastic bag. West Bromwich has a public space protection order targeting nitrous oxide (laughing gas) – and asked if he picks up drug or alcohol-related items, the man said: “It’s everywhere. If you go around the car parks, you will see it.” However not everyone was critical of West Bromwich and Sandwell. Sat on a pavement, in rain-sodden clothing and guitar in hand, was 44-year-old busker David Hampton. “I think the town is lovely, I busk around here,” said David, who lives at a hostel in the nearby town of Smethwick . “If you just be polite, no one bothers you. “It’s quite good around here compared to some areas.” Pointing to the pavement, he said: “It is clean compared to other areas. “I was in Handsworth yesterday, that is terrible. “I lived in Handsworth and Perry Barr before, the people were lovely but it was abit more rowdy.” Referring to his guitar, he said: “I used to play for a long time, I used to be a lot better than I am now, but I’ve been smoking weed for years.” Sandwell came second bottom in the West Midlands region for most-deprived local authorities, and only beat its neighbour Birmingham by two places, which came seventh.