Residents and shopkeepers in Furzedown have handed in a 500-signature petition to the council requesting regeneration of the area following a recent spate of attacks.

Resident Bert Luthers said the petition called for a package of improvements including regeneration grants for traders, home improvement grants, care in the community, better police patrols, upgrading of CCTV, better parking and youth facilities and the re-opening of a pub and two banks.

He said: "Furzedown is on the edge of the borough but that is no reason for it to be neglected."

At a council meeting last week, ward councillor Jane Briginshaw said a domestic murder in July at The Park Tavern, an armed robbery in a Thrale Road shop on October 4 and three attacks on pensioners getting their pension on the same day had made people feel vulnerable.

She said people felt the council was letting the area slide and there was a loss of confidence making people frightened to go out.

Council leader Councillor Edward Lister, when asked what steps were being taken to deal with these concerns, said there was a treadmill of less police resources generally in the borough and the Greater London Authority (GLA) should put more police on the beat, but the problem was also to do with perception of crime.

"I detect that fear of crime is being fuelled by ill-informed comment rather than what is happening on the street.

I deplore the recent handful of robberies, however we should not lose sight that Furzedown remains one of the lowest crime wards in the borough, which has been consistent over the past few years.''

He said approval had been given by the council to upgrade the existing CCTV system at Thrale Road to link it to the town hall control room, but this was being delayed by a contractual problem.

Council officers were also considering retail radio for shops who were working closely with police to monitor antisocial behaviour.

November 6, 2001 10:30