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WALTHAMSTOW: Residents vow to set up Neighbourhood Watch

5:45pm Friday 6th June 2008

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FED-UP families have vowed to fight back against crime in their neighbourhood.

Stabbings, muggings, burglaries and car theft have become a regular occurrence in Walthamstow Village.

And now people living there have decided to set up Neighbourhood Watch groups, report more crime and get to know their neighbours.

They also want to put up signs listing police phone numbers in pubs, shops and on park notice boards.

They hope that such mesaures will enbable them to keep an eye on each other's property when they are away, prompt better police action and make them feel safer.

Residents could also see their insurance premiums fall as a result.

A group of 50 residents of Walthamstow Village decided to fight back against the criminals targeting their neightbourhood at a meeting held in The Castle Pub, Eden Road.

Everyone at the meeting signed up to an email list which may turn into a special website, which Wingfield Road resident Colin Parr offered to set up.

Meeting organiser and pub landlord Roger Carter said he did not want the get-together to focus on negative viewpoints, like a similar meeting where police were slammed.

But people still criticised them, not least because none had turned up to the forum, despite six attending another event half-a-mile down the road.

Paul Klein of Folkstone Road, Walthamstow, said he had been a victim of crime twice and reported it to police, but had only got a letter in return. The next time he did not bother.

"The community support officers are a waste of time," he said. "They go home before it gets dark. When I come out of Walthamstow station at night I'm nervous walking home and I'm a grown man."

Several people said they did feel safe, however.

"I didn't feel safe when I first moved in," said one woman. "But when I got burgled everyone was absolutely fantastic. We've now got a little pact that we'll look out for each other.

"I've started to feel safer just because I know people."

Another newcomer to the area said he also thought it was much safer than Kilburn, where he used to live.

Ben Marcus of Eden Road said: "I feel amazingly safe. There was a guy recently beheaded near me and they found his corpse behind Sainsbury's. That kind of thing doesn't happen around here."

To contact Mr Carter email him on jimbomck@hotmail.co.uk.

What do you think? Is Walthamstow Village a dangerous or safe place to live?


Your Say YourEast London and West Essex Guardian Series

Atiq Malik, London says...
6:40pm Fri 6 Jun 08

I do not know why Govt is wasting money on plastic police (Community Support Officers).

Steel Eye, Leyton Village says...
7:26am Sat 7 Jun 08

Whether that place is dangerous or not I can't tell a I don't live there. But it's probably safer than other areas of Waltham Forest.

By the way what is this place "Village", no-no, when Walthamstow WAS a village, all of us on this planet didn't exist. Stop making out that it's something special.

john, limerick says...
11:28pm Mon 9 Jun 08

Know I no why I moved away from the place I once loved.the authoritys have lost touch with the people of the waltham forest and I lived there from 1976 till 2003

technomist, walthamstow says...
3:29pm Wed 11 Jun 08

What was the other meeting the police decided to turn up to by the half-dozen, ignoring this one?

Village_Green, Walthamstow Village says...
12:09pm Tue 14 Oct 08

Any follow up from this? Would like to get involved in the Neighbourhood Watch.
I love that Steel Eye berates Walthamstow for having a 'Village' and then comes from Leyton Village ;)

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