Life in one of Britain's most miserable towns: Locals in Barking blast council 'shambles' and say shopping centre is so empty it is like living in a 'ghost town' Locals living in one of the most miserable towns in Britain have blasted their council for turning it into a 'shambles'.
The borough, which has seen a rise in crime , rising living costs, and a decline in local amenities, ranked 33rd out of 33 London boroughs in terms of resident satisfaction.
Pictured: empty canisters of laughing gas on the street] East London has long been synonymous with hipsters and gentrification - but Barking is a far cry from the arty coffee shops, independent boutiques and trendy pubs of Brick Lane.
Barking and Dagenham came 218th nationally and 33rd out of 33 in Greater London - even placing it behind notoriously troubled areas like Croydon and Brent.
Residents in Barking and Dagenham compared their shopping centre to a 'ghost town' after it was named the least happy place to live in London.
