Residents and shop owners in South Norwood are frequently suffering incidents of aggressive begging on Station Road, South Norwood.

Calls are increasing for Croydon Council to improve CCTV surveillance in the area in an effort to dissuade beggars from congregating outside of the shops and in the underpass leading from South Norwood train station which is now being described as a no-go area.

Micheal Pontton, the deputy manager of Safeway Stores on Station Road, confirmed that his store is regularly targeted by aggressive beggars. Mr Pontton said: "There is one beggar in particular who will follow customers around the store and threatens them. We ask her to leave the store, but she's drunk or high on drugs and doesn't seem to understand us.

"We would inform the police, but it normally takes them between half and hour to an hour so to get here so there's not much point."

Richard Hough, manager of Auto Clutch Service, on Station Road said: "If you come outside my shop you'll see beggars here everyday, using needles, and selling drugs. We need CCTV here, or even better we need more police officers back on the beat."

Croydon Council confirmed that there were already four CCTV cameras in the area, but Councillor Andy Bagnall, a ward councillor for South Norwood, explained they were still lobbying for more.

Coun Bagnall said: "There has been a problem with begging in the area we are lobbying for more CCTV in the area, and making sure we put forward a strong case for South Norwood.

May 15, 2003 14:30