Dispersal zone for Woodside to cope with anti-social youths
By Anna Edwards and Hazel Kerlo
anna.edwards@essnmedia.co.uk
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NEW POWERS: Police can now move on troublesome youths
A dispersal zone has been created in Woodside at the request of local residents.
It is hoped giving police the power to move youngsters on if they look like causing trouble will put an end to anti-social behaviour blighting the area.
Woodside Safer Neighbourhood Team obtained the dispersal order after a host of other measures failed to work.
PC Jill Ireland says officers encouraged teenagers found hanging around unsettling residents to go to parks or youth clubs, but found they weren't interested.
She said: "It's been quite difficult to move them on effectively from the area.
"They congregate outside certain addresses, making noise, play-fighting, bumping into people's cars and neighbours have told us it intimidates them."
With the summer holidays in full swing, misbehaving children have become a constant, disturbing presence.
PC Ireland said: "We've tried encouraging them into different activities but they're at that age when they don't want to go to Scouts or that sort of thing."
Residents have welcomed the dispersal order, which will allow officers to force groups of more than two to leave the zone.
If they then return within the next 24 hours they can be arrested, and officers can also take under 16s home if they are out between 9pm and 6am.
Roger Phillips, 60, from Southcote Road, said: "It is necessary. They make a lot of mess and leave a lot of litter."
Angela Phillips, 38, from Estcourt Road, hopes the order will make her road more peaceful.
The housewife said: "There was a party down this road and it got completely out of hand.
"The police were quite ineffective with dealing with it.
"They were all fighting and making loads of noise, which woke up my children.
"I think that it's mainly the parents who are to blame for them loitering on street corners and making a nuisance."
Myrna McHugh, 38, from Tudor Road, says the teenagers need activities to stop them hanging around, however.
The housing development officer said: "I think a lot of the teenagers around here are bored, there's not much for them to do.
"The Arena playground is only for under 12s so there should be more for them to do."
The order was granted on August 5 and will run until October 28.
PC Ireland admits there is a risk that by moving groups on they will only move the problem somewhere else, but she says children "are wising up to what they can and cannot do."
The dispersal zone covers Apsley Road, Napier Road, Seymour Place, Belfast Road, Ingatestone Road, Brocklesby Toad, Notson Road, Watcombe Road, Oakley Road, Dundee Road, Grasmere Road, Cumberland Road, Southcote Road, Tudor Road, Albert Road, Macclesfield Road, Estcourt Road, Aylett Road, Sandown Road, Ferndale Road, Belmont Road and St Luke's Close.
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by The3rd, Croydon
Tuesday, August 18 2009, 3:07PM
“Spot on Wotan.
The amount of fried chicken shops that populate the north of the borough is quite frankly a disgrace.
Add Thornton Heath to that list of yours. I think it may even have more fried chicken shops than all the towns on your list combined!!
I also agree with your point on lazy mothers. Children having children for the sake of getting a council flat. We all know of someone that has done it.
The "mothers", have no manners themselves. How can they be expected to pass any onto their feral children?”
by Wotan, Valhalla
Tuesday, August 18 2009, 12:34PM
“Anne,
Robin Hood has it in one. Modern mothers are not slaves; too many of them appear not to give a tinker's cuss about looking after their children, if it gets in the way of socialising or Eastenders.
Moreover, tables are rarely ever laid nowadays. A recent news item reported that demand for table knives has collapsed, as everyone survives on take aways, eaten with forks and spoons (or their hands - H1N1 anyone?) The mother of today is more likely to have her head buried in the Argos catalogue than Mrs Beeton and just gives her offspring a few quid to spend in the Chicken Cottage or whichever vile e-coli fermentation plant is nearby. As for clearing the table, washing and drying up, you need only look at the kebab and fried chicken detritus around the place to see how that one goes.
Perhaps if Croydon planners (I use the term advisedly) didn't permit quite so many take aways (take a stroll down South Norwood High Street, Portland Road, Woodside Green and Lower Addiscombe Road and count them), people would be encouraged to eat at home "en famille", would not be out and about causing these problems and might just learn some social skills. They might. Just.”
by RobinHood, Croydon
Tuesday, August 18 2009, 9:08AM
“Anne who said the parents bother with mundane chores like making beds and general housework.These are the offspring of children who have children.Bovverd ...not likely”
by ANNE, SELSDON
Tuesday, August 18 2009, 9:01AM
“Why are their parents not insisting that they help in the house by making their beds, tidying up their rooms, laying the table for meals, clearing the table, washing up, drying up, etc. etc. From the age of around 7 or 8 years old we all helped in the house, as did most of our friends. There was still time to do homework, read or play. Modern mothers seem to like being slaves these days. Children never got bored before.”
by Peter, Wallington
Monday, August 17 2009, 6:41PM
“They could use their free Oyster cards and hop on the bus to Thornton Heath and go swimming.”