We live in the 'paradise' of millionaires, but our children are too afraid to leave their home

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A HIDDEN millionaire's paradise has been revealed behind a notorious estate, home to celebrities with eye-catching cars on every ride.

Stockwell's wealthiest live just a row of houses away from some of the roughest estates along Stockwell Road, south London.

Stephanie Da Costa, 41, drives a prized Bentley, worth an average of £200,000, and often parks it three miles away in Streatham to keep it safeCredit: Peter Jordan

Stockwell Park Crescent features tens of million-dollar homes just meters away from run-down residential areasCredit: Peter Jordan

Joss Laughton-Scott, 27, who grew up in a £3.5million house in affluent Stockwell Park Crescent, told how he was robbed so many times as a teenager that he never owned an expensive phoneCredit: Peter Jordan

British acting legends Joanna Lumley and Toby Jones both call the area home.

And those on both sides of the rich-poor divide have shared what it feels like to work together.

Stephanie Da Costa, 41, mother of a terrified 16-year-old boy, told how her son would not leave their home for fear of gangs.

Stephanie drives a prized Bentley – worth around £200,000 – but she says she has to park it three miles away in Streatham to keep it safe.

REGULAR ROBBERY

Another wealthy resident, who grew up in a £3.5million house in affluent Stockwell Park Crescent, told how he was robbed so many times as a teenager that he never owned an expensive phone.

Joss Laughton-Scott, 27, said: “As a teenager on the way from the station there were routes we had to avoid. We were walking through a council estate and people were waiting at the bus stop, saw you turning down this road and… running fast and cutting you off. It was questionable and something we had to think about. I never had a nice phone because it was pointless.

“We always had that in mind: you had to see signs that something was going to happen. Someone was going to cross the road straight to you.”

He revealed that the smart-fronted family home, with a covered sports car in the driveway, has only been broken into once – after his mother left a laptop by the window.

Joss added: “We've only had one break-in attempt, which was surprising considering where we are. There has always been street crime, but it is getting better.

“Vauxhall is on the rise and we are now getting a halo effect from that. I wouldn't describe Stockwell as unsafe now, but when I was growing up it certainly was. When I was growing up at the age of 10, I told my mother that I didn't want to go home because there was a spate of shootings while we were on vacation. It was all gang related.”

Meanwhile, Lily Foster, 27, has lived in her home on the rich side for just four days.

She revealed that she had already witnessed a man urinating on the street.

“Yesterday someone was peeing in a garden on the corner and I made him jump,” she said.

“He turned around and weeded me, so that was my experience last night. I literally moved four days ago.”

ESTATE LIVING

On the other side of the wealth divide, hard-working residents said they usually have no problems with their wealthier neighbors – except when they dump their rubbish in estate bins.

Mehmet Jemal, 62, said: “When I look at all the beautiful, luxurious houses opposite my flat, it looks good, a lot of work has been done on it, these are people who can afford to buy their house, but I Unfortunately not.

“This is a beautiful area that has been neglected, it is emerging. There's nothing wrong with raising money.

'I don't like it when they come here and dump their rubbish in our bins. That's for us, the estate. That's my only problem. They tend to be a bit of a bully.”

He added that he is focusing on his life, getting up, going to work and making sure his bills are paid.

“We've always seen this over the years. I just get up, go to work and pay my bills. I don't have a problem with it. I've lived here for 20 years. I noticed that over time there was more prosperity was walking the streets for years.

'There were more wealthy people who bought the properties. As you walk around, you see more educated people – who were not born or raised here. That has changed in the past ten years.'

Ahmed Mania, 52, said: We have lived here for 21 years. We are struggling with rising rents and food prices. I am a supervisor. It's hard to see people struggling while others live in luxury. Everything is so expensive now.”

It is very different from where we live here. There are big differences just a few roads away

Sarah Swanson28

Retiree Colin Jackson, 71, noticed an increase in the number of Teslas in the surrounding wealthy neighborhood.

He added: “I've lived here all my life. It has always had a rich character. They recently renovated the cellars. There are a lot of Teslas there and I begrudge them that.

'I live in a three-bed flat. It was my mother's and I got it when she passed away. We are happy there. It is worth £400,000.

“With the cost of living we certainly have to be careful with our finances. I have a pension and my wife only has to work a few hours on the London Underground. It is somewhat strange that the wealthy live so close to this area as it is so run down.

“It's been that way in my life, the rich have always been around the corner. It's the cars. You've got Range Rovers, Teslas, there's even Bentleys there. They're nice people, we talk to them. They' We are just like us, but beaten.”

Lee Barr, 53, added that he sees the bigger houses as inspiring and plans he would come up with if he won a lottery jackpot.

He said: “I can see them and we're walking through them, but it's not us. It is ambitious to see the enormous houses.

“We think about buying a lottery ticket and where we would live if we won. There is a beautiful square tree with a hedge that is covered in lights every Christmas. It's nice. But you don't see the cars that you would expect.

'You see Mercs and Beamers, but no Ferraris. You might see a Range Rover. I wonder if they are scared because Brixton is further away.

“The cost of living crisis has been an interesting change. My mortgage has gone up a lot, it has happened to everyone. We are struggling while I can go there and see nice houses.”

Sarah Swanson, 28, added that there was a “big difference” between her estate home and the million-pound houses next door.

She said: “It's very different to where we live here. There are big differences just a few roads away.

“It's always been very different from place to place. Relative poverty is real. Sometimes I feel like there are nicer cars on the estate than outside. But you see a lot of gentrification, it's becoming more and more common.

'Everything is so expensive now. You get used to the wealth, that's just the way things are.

“I'm not bitter about it, it's more of a way of striving for it. Although it's not easy to get there. If you don't have generational wealth, it's very difficult to buy a house.”

It comes after residents earning just £800 a month on Universal Credit revealed they live next door to super-rich neighbours.

And residents of a divided city told how they suffer as the hidden poor.