Yeah, I think the tabloids also got their hands on these. Cardiff really is like this but then again St Marys Street, the street where most of these are taken, used to be a lot worse with kniving, prostitution and heavy drinking. That was a couple of hundred years ago when it was the dock area but it's still interesting that overall behaviour has improved!
I haven't seen anywhere as bad (some might say colourful) as Cardiff and that's saying something given that I'm from Hull. I think that's because carnage tends to be focused on one street with virtually all drinkers heading to Chip Alley (Caroline Street) at club kick-out time. It's a very surreal experience to walk down there at 2am sober!