SE23 Forum

I've been living in the Trilby Road/Vestris Road area for nearly a year now and my husband and I absolutely love it! Having moved from the rowdiness of Clapham we love that we actually know our neighbours for once now!

One thing we have noticed recently is that the alleyway between Sunderland Road and Trilby Road which we have to walk through, unless we want a long diversion half way around the south circular, is worryingly more and more frequented by groups of intimidating youths hanging around. I'm not much older than these kids, but it makes me feel increasingly uncomfortable walking home from the train station after work, let alone later in the evening. Has anyone else noticed the increase in this? We've now also had groups of kids hanging around outside our house about 10pm at night which has only started happening over the past month.

About two weeks ago we had a letter through from the met police letting us know that there had been an increase in damage to property, anti-social behaviour and general rowdiness/threatening behaviour and for residents to get in touch if they'd noticed anything. This week there has also been two incidents where police have been present around the area with flashing lights. I felt at first I was being paranoid about the increase in activity in the alley way but now i'm not so sure, this letter really concerned me. Can anyone else shed some light on the issues? Is there a need for CCTV in the alley way?

What can we do??

I know alley well. Probably CCTV would help although they tend to where hoods etc.
Trouble in however many CCTV cameras you have they cannot cover every where.

Sorry you are now getting trouble. Not sure what to suggest. You cannot say anything to these children as you may get sued or knifed.

Best of Luck.

The best thing to do is to call the police saying what you can see. The kids may well be long gone, but the call will be logged. If you call next time they are there, or other people call - the police can then decide if this is somewhere they need to look at for patrols etc. If you dont call them, they have no way of ever knowing this.

I have emailed them this morning with details - it just feels so stupid saying there are some kids sat on my wall drinking!

I do not think it sounds stupid. I am sure everyone understands your situation.
You mention drinking but not whether alcoholic. I did not get impression that they were 18 plus.

I'm pretty sure they weren't over 18 - more likely to be school kids because of the looming Easter holidays!

Then if drinking alcohol against the law so The Police should rush round.

Good Luck.

Silly Tilly
We had a period of kids sitting on the wall outside our block. So to prevent it we planted thorny plants that grow all around and over walls and there has been no problems since the plants have grown.

Change your wall so that it cant be sit upon. A quick way could be that you have a metal upright cemented in along the middle of the wall (Even a spikey one).

I used to deliver leaflets in the area and I identified that passage you mentioned as high risk just by looking at it (Without any events). In fact it might be best for it to be sealed off.

After that a friend of mine was mugged there and it will appeal to muggers because it offers a dual escape route.

Grange Gem
Any plants do not grow overnight.
It might be a solution for the future but the poor householder wants peace now.
If possible could you build the wall up , or as GG has suggested put a few bricks at angles to make it uncomfortable for the louts to sit on your property.

I have walked through that alley dozens of times. it is a convenient shortcut.

Yes I agree.
If there is a potential mugging problem surely sort that out rather than close a public right of way.

Thanks for all your responses! Unfortunately we rent so we'll have to speak to our landlord. Nobody on the wall last night, yay!

As for the alley way - totally ridiculous to 'seal it off' just because of potential mugging. Why should we live in fear?

Since when was drinkingn alcohol against the law?

I think they are referring to them as being under 18 drinking alcohol.

since when was it illegal for someone under 18 to drink alcohol? (except in a pub, which it generally is).

I think we are diverting from my original point which wasn't really about the issue of the drinking of alcohol.

See below from the BBC website (who know's if it's actually right)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6598867.stm

indeed, nowhere there does it say that it is illegal for an under 18 to drink alcohol except in a pub. (save for under 5s - which it would be illegal)

Sorry Bensonby my error.
I assume buying alcohol is illegal though so where do they get it from.

Anyway I agree not the main issue. No one wants children , or anyone else , sitting on their wall.

FH has a no drinking in public policy in a number of areas.

no it doesn't.

It has a drinking control zone - under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. A discretionary power that allows a constable (or PCSO) to seize alcohol if they wish.

Perhaps. But it's not against the law is it? It's hardly "anti-social" either...unless it is accompanied by other behaviour.