By Paul Donald People stuck living in a once-loved holiday resort that attracted top celebrities have blasted it as a “crime-ridden hellhole” that has been allowed to decay. It used to have a thriving tourist economy and once attracted huge showbiz names including Edwin Starr, Freddie Mercury, Tommy Cooper and Shirley Bassey, but Canvey Island in Essex has seen serious decline in recent years, with many locals trying desperately to find a way out. Recent crime statistics show the island has become one of the top five most dangerous medium-size towns in Essex, with a shocking overall crime rate…