Playground is just a magnet for yobs, says mum of two
by Lucy Buckland
lucy.buckland@essnmedia.co.uk
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FED-UP: Emma Johnson has had enough of yobs in Tollers Lane playground Photo no: CCRdf211009f by Danny Fitzpatrick
A distraught mum of two is calling for a playground to be pulled out of her estate because it is a magnet for teenage yobs.
Emma Johnson has collected 100 names demanding the council remove swings and benches in the Tollers Lane play area of Old Coulsdon.
Things are so bad that Mrs Johnson, a lawyer, even wants to move out of her home in Ellis Close.
She said the youths drink and take drugs, then litter the area with drug foils and empty beer cans.
They shout abuse until 4am and Mrs Johnson had rubbish thrown at her window when she dared to confront the noisy teens.
The 44-year-old and her husband Steve, 42, blasted the council for spending cash refurbishing the playground a year ago even though officers knew it was a hot spot for late-night crime.
She said: "The ironic thing is we picked this house because it's right near the playground – we thought it would be good for the children.
"For four years we have had problems, and it is not the kids from this estate. There are kids who come up here late at night, some of them are as young as 10 – on mopeds – but this year it has escalated.
"Every night in the summer, we were woken up from midnight until 4am. The noise, swearing, and shouting – you just think someone is being murdered.
"My children wake up and start crying, it is terrifying really because you can hear them drinking, swearing, taking drugs, and there is nothing we can do.
"Our Safer Neighbourhood Team have been brilliant but what can they do? They finish at 10pm.
"We call Croydon police, they say call the council helpline, who sometimes say call the police. It is passing the buck."
Mrs Johnson said the most terrifying incident was when she confronted a gang of yobs by shouting out the window for them to be quiet.
They retaliated by throwing a stick at her, which landed inches away from the cot of her 18-month-old daughter, Elsie, and woke up her son, Stanley, 4.
Mrs Johnson said: "It is terrifying. Luckily I am not the type to sit back but some of my elderly neighbours are really, really scared.
"They get heart palpitations because their homes are vandalised."
Two elderly people were too terrified to speak when approached by the Advertiser this week.
Mrs Johnson added: "If this continues, I will have to move.
"I am tired of my children playing among drug foils and cannabis butts, and don't want them to live around this. "The worst thing is it gets Steve and me so angry but we know if we touch any of them we will get in trouble."
The couple handed their petition to the council on Monday and will receive a response in December.
A council spokesman told the Advertiser: "We have spoken to residents living near the playground and local police safer neighbourhood teams have asked them to keep a log of any incidents.
"Increased patrols of the area are taking place, graffiti has been removed and benches relocated away from housing.
"Rather than move the playground, which is well used mainly by children, families and young people, we are working with the police and local residents to put a stop to this unacceptable behaviour."
32 Comments
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by jackie, Old Coulsdon
Thursday, November 12 2009, 10:13PM
“Surely it's on the land that belongs to the Corporation of London like the rest of the Happy Valley? Couldn't they be contacted for their decision.
The trouble is the playground has a low fence and is situated right on the edge of some of the most beautiful ancient woodland where it is very accessible 24/7 from any direction.
As stated in the article, it's not children from the local area, which is true as most of the problems are caused, as in Bradmore Green Park, by people who don't live anywhere near here.
~If they are 10 years old or so what are they doing out at night travelling around smoking? Don't parents - if there are any - notice their little cherub arriving home at gone midnight smelling of cigarettes?”
by the don, ellis road
Wednesday, November 11 2009, 11:22PM
“Firstly, I would like to say that I frequently visit this park with my 5 year old daughter and not once have I found 'drug foil'. Ok some joint buts and fag ends and a can, but hey lets put things into perspective here, you would most likely find those anywhere (even the Webb Estate). This park is used by many local families who are very decent people despite not living in a detached house with a 30ft garden and an account at John Lewis. Im sorry for the lady who has suffered abuse but this is a deeper social issue and removing play areas is in no way going to help this situation. Personally I think the attitudes of the 'want to be' upper class and the likes of the 'air heads' on the Webb Estate's attitudes towards people who are less fortunate than them has a far more resounding effect on this social behaviour than play parks. Also I find it suspect that a LAWYER has no idea on where she stands legally in dealing with anti social behaviour. Also, someone is having to move from their 'PRIVATE' home because of yobbish behaviour in the area. With views like yours, did you not consider this BEFORE you bought your 'PRIVATE' home on a council estate. I agree there is a problem with yobs coming in from other areas causing trouble. They possibly come from the Webb Estate with daddys cash to buy drugs and get high without mummy ever finding out, possibly in cars and on mopeds that they got for being good that week. Most people on council estates are decent and hard working but just maybe didnt have the opportunities or luck in life as some others, perhaps some people are just frightened that if they did they could do just as well. You want a solution to this problem, easy PUT UP A SURVEILLANCE CAMERA it is very legal. Dont stand at your window with a camcorder hawking the playground or provoking drunken yobs. If you feel threatened call 999 and someone will be with you shortly. To be honest a council or police cctv system on the estate would solve alot of issues in the area.”
by Ellis Road, Old Coulsdon
Thursday, October 29 2009, 12:05PM
“Thanks Kenny and RPB both for your support - there were talks of locking the park but the park is situtated in the centre of a large open space so in order to fence it off will mean a huge fence being installed and gates added and it looking like a prison exercise yard - actually thinking that will be just perfect for the low life's that frequent it at night - might be the best way to round them up -good thinking RPB!”
by P, South London
Wednesday, October 28 2009, 8:47PM
“Guys get over it. Kids are ruling this country and guess what? No one is doing a darn thing about it. So moan all you like but until some real punishment comes into force that doesnt include "human rights" then just give up. And before you start - dont blame the police cos even they are powerless to stop them. If kids have no respect for authority figures then who will they respect?!!”
by RPB, Coulsdon
Wednesday, October 28 2009, 4:16PM
“Ellis Road, fair points, and of course I do agree that ideally kids shouldn't be out that late at night. Sadly that's out of our control and so we have to mitigate as best we can.
This might be a bit of a simplistic solution, but isn't there a way of making the playground inaccessible at night? In other words, locking it?
I used to live near Marlpit Lane park which has a playground, and in the evening the park warden would lock both gates. If kids really wanted to go to the effort of climbing the fences of course they could, but seemed a pretty effective deterrent to me.”