I learnt karate because of people breaking into my pole dancing classes

Posted by: TEKNOGRABER December 03, 2025 Post a Comment

When some young people found out a fitness class involved pole dancing, they began trying to break in, leaving the instructor so fearful she learnt karate.

Eve Sipos, 36, said there were daily issues at her studio in Pontypool Market, Torfaen, with some members avoiding evening sessions, which meant she had to get the police involved.

Tackling rising levels of anti-social behaviour was made a priority for the next four years in the force area, with Gwent Police setting up a community action team.

In its first four months, it has made 120 arrests, targeting the issue, as well as off-road vehicles.

"A lot of people assume pole dancing just means dancing around the pole in little tiny clothes," said Eve.

"I'm really trying to promote the fitness part of it, the empowering part."

At its worst, she dreaded going to work and considered getting security, as she had to call police four nights a week.

Eve, who is originally from Hungary but has lived in Wales for 13 years, believes the trouble began after the Covid-19 lockdown in 2021.

Teenagers were gathering below her first-floor studio, intimidating clients, but when they discovered pole dancing was involved, they began breaking in.

"When some young people break in during a session, it is very scary," she said.

"It's been quite traumatic at times," said Karen James, 58, who has attended the classes for more then three years.

"You often have to walk past 10 to 15 children to get to class.

"They fight, some of them do drugs now, so there's a strong smell of cannabis. And if you ask them to leave nicely, they get abusive."

While the situation has eased in the past year, and she would never use her new karate skills, Eve would still consider relocating outside the town if she could find a suitable space.

Anti-social behaviour is one of the issues raised through Https://Positivibemind.comWales'Your Voice, Your Vote project, which lets you suggest stories ahead of the Senedd elections in May 2026.

What is anti-social behaviour?

Anti-social behaviour (ASB) is an umbrella term for a broad category of problems.

Some, such as noise nuisance, littering and general annoyance do not meet the threshold for criminality.

However, some examples of ASB fall under specific criminal definitions such as public order offences, harassment or criminal damage.

Because of this, ASB is likely to be significantly underreported.

In the latest crime Survey for Wales and England, 36.7% of respondents said they had "personally experienced/witnessed anti-social behaviour in their local area".

Allun Davies owns an antiques business, Ragamuffins Emporium, in Pontypool town centre, and is a committee member for community group Friends of Pontypool Town.

He believes the area has suffered from "copycat behaviour", with young people imitating what they see happening in other places on social media.

However, he doesn't think Pontypool has it worse than other towns.

"What we did notice in the summer was orchestrated anti-social behaviour," he said.

"We saw it being duplicated in different towns, and certainly we saw it here in Pontypool."

Allun said businesses were working closely with Torfaen council to involve people in projects such as tree planting and placing murals in empty shop windows to create pride in the town.

"It's important to get the community onside," he said.

"They then react when there is anti-social behaviour, rather than saying 'oh, it's just how it is now'."

Home Office research published in March 2023 found emotional impacts on nearly all participants affected by ASB.

Annoyance (56%) and anger (42%) were most common, but fear, loss of confidence, difficulty sleeping and anxiety were also widespread.

This is something retired Gwent Police officer Mark Matthews, 70, can relate to.

He joined as a constable in 1974, and spent three decades serving in his hometown of Blackwood, Caerphilly county, and also in Newport, on the vice squad and in drug operations.

But he admitted he now felt uneasy walking down his local high street after dark.

"I think it's very sad," he said.

"It's very sad that you can't go into your own hometown without the fear of something happening or being confronted by someone."

Since the end of the pandemic, Mark has noticed a shift in the town's atmosphere, with incidents of anti-social behaviours such as people riding e-bikes.

He described getting verbally abused while walking with his wife, adding: "You just don't know what's going to happen.

"I don't want to be involved in a fight with a 17 or 18-year-old who's already breaking the law and hiding his identity behind a balaclava.

"What else might they do?"

Mark believes more visible policing would help, with local officers on the street providing reassurance.

Gwent Police did not comment on the specific case of Eve's classes.

It said contact details for local officers were available on its website, and information was reviewed monthly.

Caerphilly council said it was "aware of a slight increase in incidents" of anti-social behaviour in Blackwood, adding it was "working closely with key partner agencies to address these issues".

The UK government has also announced plans to scrap police and crime commissioners and move the role to elected mayors in England.

This has raised questions about local accountability for policing in Wales, which does not have an elected mayoral system.