Seven women have told the Guardian that their former partners, who they accuse of domestic abuse, are now key figures in the UK's anti-immigration street patrol movement. These women aim to highlight patterns of violence behind this new form of activism.
One survivor, Lisa, described her ex-partner as controlling and abusive, including an incident where he reportedly attacked her with a machete. He now organises protests outside houses of multiple occupancy and coordinates street patrols, claiming to protect women while allegedly profiling and targeting men of colour.
Across the UK, at least 14 such street patrol groups have been established, reportedly receiving public donations and political backing. These groups, sometimes wearing hi-vis jackets and stab-proof vests, aim for a visible presence. Some have reportedly used patrols to stop and question men of colour, demanding identity documents.
The Guardian was shown evidence indicating severe abuse by men in these groups, despite their rhetoric of protecting women. Some survivors have been granted restraining or non-molestation orders, and one was forced to relocate with police assistance for safety.
Other cases include Reece McCarron, founder of the Corby Guard, who was convicted of coercive control in May after threatening his former partner. In Greater Manchester, Adam Farrell and Jamie Thomason formed the Heywood community guard; Farrell was jailed in 2022 for a racist attack, and Thomason was convicted in 2018 for threatening a former partner.