A man held at knife point and mugged twice in a Redbridge park wants the council to install CCTV to prevent further attacks.

The resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, was first attacked in Valentine’s Park in Ilford in May 2017 and twice again since, but the council has failed to install CCTV as suggested.

Since the three attacks suffered by the man, another person was stabbed in the neck with an eight inch knife metres from the sites of the muggings in May 2018.

The resident wants Redbridge Council to install cameras as a deterrent for criminals.

Describing the first attack, he said: “The guy came up to me from behind, he must have been behind a tree because he appeared out of nowhere and blocked my path and showed me a knife.

“ I told him to get away from me, but he kept blocking my path. 

“I was on my own, I couldn’t run, there was no way I could turn my back on him.”

The resident is frustrated by the council’s handling of the situation and claims he has been repeatedly ignored, offered platitudes and no solution has been reached.

He believes if CCTV had been installed after his concerns were first raised, the stabbing in May 2018 might have been avoided.

The man said: “I have had to wade through treacle, trying to get the council to put CCTV in the area.

“They have been rude, and have done hardly anything. The one practical thing they have done has been utterly messed up.

“I am staggered that people who put themselves forward for public office can receive an email about a series of robberies, and instead of thinking ‘What can I do to prevent this?’ they apparently think ‘How can I get away with ignoring this?'”

When the resident approached the council after the initial incident, he said he was ignored for more than nine months.

Eventually, when the council did respond, the resident said councillors sent him replies that did not address the issues raised and instead explained why they had a right not to respond.

He added: “None of these people are on my side, it’s disgraceful. I suspect either lack of respect for the general public, or complacency about the issue of knife crime.

“When I stood, alone, in the gathering dark, unable to run, and preparing to fight bare-handed against a man with a knife, the council were not on my side.

“Something needs to be done about this, as it is only a matter of time before someone gets hurt again.”

Frustrated, the man escalated his concerns and got in touch with his MP, Mike Gapes of Ilford South, who he said was “more helpful”.

In email exchanges between the man and the council, seen by the Guardian, the council appears to have carried out a site survey of the area to review the feasibility of installing CCTV in the area, but it was deemed an inappropriate site.

The resident believes the survey carried out was “incompetent” and suspects the council actually surveyed the incorrect part of the park.

Redbridge Council did not respond to a request for comment.

The Metropolitan Police has been contacted for comment.