'It was once the best estate, but people ended up begging for it to be torn down'

The Gorsey Bank estate in Cheadle Heath once promised a fresh start.

But it met a tragic end - abandoned, falling into disrepair and eventually bulldozed. It's been 15 years since the estate was demolished, eight years after the last residents moved out.

The site, located on the bank of the River Mersey, is now home to the Aurora Business Park, with few reminders of its past as 'Stockport's worst' area, plagued by vandalism, burglaries and arson attacks. Dating back to 1935, Gorsey Bank, with its semi-detached houses, terraces and recreation ground, had deteriorated so much by the early 1970s that residents were calling for its demolition.

In 1978, the Stockport Advertiser, the predecessor of the Stockport Express, reported: "Many in the area believe that the whole area should be razed to the ground to make way for industrial development."

Raymond Atherton, 42, said: "There is no point wasting any more money on this area. The Council should bulldoze the lot and build factories on the land."

Reports from the time revealed a divide in the neighbourhood between proud, law-abiding residents and those it labelled, in language we wouldn't use today, as 'problem families'. But there was no doubt that the area was plagued by issues of antisocial behaviour.

A 1972 article in the Alderley and Wilmslow Advertiser painted a grim picture: "In 1935, Gorsey Bank was a new housing estate. Today, it is looked upon as an 'open prison' for debtors and problem families who find it difficult to lead a civilised life.

"For the past few weeks it has been under the microscope of town hall officials, who will announce their findings next month. Their test is to decide whether it should remain a housing estate or be converted to some other use."