Dog walkers say a lack of lighting is making them feel unsafe at night in an Eltham park where a young girl was raped.

Avery Hill Park users also claim people have been hiding in bushes and then approaching them in the dark.

A 14-year-old girl was attacked in a secluded area of the park last September, which has heightened residents' fears.

Lee Harding lives around the corner from the park and likes to walk his dog there, but feels particularly unsafe as he is in a wheelchair.

He said: “There have been a number of attacks there including rapes. One time after dark, this guy came out of the bushes and approached me and it was very worrying because I’m trapped in the chair.

"It wasn’t until my dog ran along that he left me alone.

“The rest of the park is in darkness outside of the café. Dog walkers are very uncomfortable with it.”

Mr Harding is one of a number of people who have called Greenwich Council to try to get extra lights installed in the park.

However, the council has said it has no plans to light other areas of the park due to cost as well as light pollution disturbing the local bat population.

Jess Nottle lives just across the road from the park. She said: “It’s an absolute joke. I have had a couple of times in there where I don’t feel safe. People hide in the bushes and then watch you for a little while.

“If you don’t want us to walk our dogs in there, are you going to also say not to bring my children there?

“There are teenagers there but they aren’t my problem, they are just standing around and maybe smoking some weed but I don’t feel unsafe around them. But when there’s some guy hiding in the dark in the bushes, then I feel unsafe.

“I have a teenager daughter who walks through that park. I don’t like her walking through there - it’s pitch black out there.

“There are certain parts in that park that are dead spots, if someone got pulled over in those parts you could scream as loud as you like and nobody could hear you.”

A spokesman for Greenwich Council said: “We understand that safety is an important concern for residents given the recent serious incidents in Avery Hill Park, including the horrific attack on a teenage girl last September.

“However we would like to highlight that the main path through Avery Hill Park - Reinickendorf Avenue and the path to café are both well lit.

“Unfortunately it is not feasible to light every route in all of our parks due to the cost and the impact of light pollution on natural habitats.

"Avery Hill has one of the borough’s largest bat populations and, as the protected species are nocturnal, this restricts where we can install lighting.

“With Reinickendorf Avenue being a lit pathway through Avery Hill, we would advise residents to use this route if wishing to walk their dogs through the park after dark.”