Residents of a picturesque London neighbourhood have slated its safety, after noting yobs stealing Amazon parcels and streets becoming vehicle theft hotspots.
On the face of it, Eel Brook Common, in Fulham, has everything anyone would need to raise a young family with a high street for weekend treats, close-by schools and nurseries, as well as open greenery spaces.
But underneath its charming appearance, residents say that the neighbourhood is littered with crime, including cars being keyed and broken into, and “yobs” hanging around doorsteps waiting to steal Amazon packages.
The area even has its own dedicated team of uniformed officers whose main priority is the safety of the town’s residents, but they say more needs to be done to keep the neighbourhood child-friendly, reports MyLondon.
Although some residents say they feel safe in the area, others are concerned that if greater focus is not put on their streets the crime will get worse, after one resident saw 14 cars get vandalised in one day.
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Witnessing two cars being broken within a month, one happening outside her home, 35-year-old Sacha Steyn, said: “I was shocked because it happened here on my doorstep.”
A second resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said they had witnessed 14 cars being keyed in the same day.
And a third local who works in the area claimed that a car was stolen in front of her in broad daylight, Nafisa said that it happened while she was working, and she saw someone try to smash the car’s windshield and boot.
Even worse, the worried resident said that thieves hang around businesses looking to capitalise on door-dropped packages, which has happened on more than one occasion.
She said: “I always see people stealing packages from outside doors”.
Some residents even claim to have seen motorbikes loaded into vans in the dead of night before speeding off into the distance.
Mum Stevie, 28, who is staying in the area with her mum and young son said they witnessed a motorcycle theft on one occasion, and her son witnessed a gang assault someone on the ground, while yobs frequently target the area.
Stevie’s mum, Alison, said: “I was shocked and wanted to come home.”
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However, some residents and business owners told the BBC’s LDRS that it’s not all doom and gloom. A worker from Pippa Pop-ins nursery said the team regularly bring youngsters to play in the park and have never experienced any problems.
George Theo, 23, has lived in the area for a couple of months and said apart from people smoking cannabis, he said he feels safe in the area and has no problems wandering through the common at night.
The Australian sports teacher said: “There is a lot of weed smoking. Plenty of blokes parked up on bench seats smoking weed. But other than that it is a safe place.”
And Mohammed, who lives on an estate on Favart Road, said his family has never experienced any major crimes in the area. He said kids usually gather in the park and get up to usual mischief, but that was all.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council has Law Enforcement Team (LET) to help keep residents and visitors safe. The LET was created in April 2021 and consists of 72 uniformed staff who patrol streets across the borough 24/7 and act as “the eyes and ears” for the council.
A council spokesperson said: “The number one priority of our Law Enforcement Team is to help keep Hammersmith and Fulham’s residents and visitors safe. Our officers work closely with the Met Police and have a broad range of powers to help drive down environmental crime and anti-social behaviour.
“Our LET can increase its patrols in areas where residents report problems. Residents near Eel Brook Common can report issues to their local team by emailing: parsonsgreensandford_southward[email protected] or calling 020 8753 1100 (select option 3).”
The Met Police has been contacted for comment.
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