Parks police break up Christ Church Green fight (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

Parks police break up Christ Church Green fight

9:18am Thursday 19th July 2007 in

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PARKS Police officers were called upon to mount extra patrols in Wanstead last week after a fight between schoolchildren on Christ Church Green.

Constables from the council-funded unit increased their presence in the area on Thursday and Friday after a confrontation, involving a group of up to ten youngsters, broke out near the children's play area on Wednesday afternoon.

The alarm was raised at 4pm by worried bus drivers parked in Woodbine Place, who pressed emergency buttons in their cabs after spotting the trouble.

Snaresbrook ward councillor, Sue Nolan, has called for the Parks Police to player a bigger role in helping Met officers prevent fights between schoolchildren in and around the park.

She said: "This is not the first time we have had a problem with schoolchildren fighting in Wanstead and I think the Parks Police have an important role to play in supporting our local safer neighbourhoods team in this area."

These views were backed by Mr Boylin, who said his officers play a similar role in preventing fights between youths in green spaces near schools across Redbridge.

He said: "One of the key jobs my officers do is to deter youngsters using the parks as battlegrounds when they leave school at the end of the day, and we were happy to respond to Cllr Nolan's request in this instance.

"Christ Church Green is a relatively quiet area, mainly due to the hard work of the local Safer Neighbour-hoods team, but we know we can do our bit too."