As I was walking to OPEN Ealing this morning I noticed part of Dean Gardens was cordoned off. Apparently there was a fight overnight/early morning and one person has been taken to hospital and another arrested. The fight looks to have taken place in clear vision of one of the newly installed CCTV cameras. It’s an interesting question as to whether the newly installed CCTV acts as a deterrent or as a means of identifying and apprehending offenders?
Not long after this there was an armed robbery at the NatWest Bank on the corner of the Lido Junction. Seems the robbers got away with some cash.
Friday 1st June
A passer-by said ‘As I walked through Dean Gardens this morning (Thursday), there was a group of 8 people, 2 of which were slightly broken away, one was very aggressive towards the other (on crutches) and was pushed over onto the floor. The separated 6 also seemed to be about to fight with each other. They’d clearly been drinking, one I could see from my distance was holding a bottle still. I scooted through pretty quickly and called the police who said they’d send a patrol round immediately.’
The ambulance was tending to someone on the ground and the police were starting to put their tape up just after nine this morning as I went by in the bus on the way to work. I also thought about the CCTV.
I hope everything’s in order when the Olympic flame comes through West Ealing in July!
We do have law and order issues in the centre of West Ealing which have not apparently improved over recent years. This situation hopefully reached its nadir on the night of 8/9 August last year with 100s rioting for over 3 hours.
I have been campaigning for a Police Station in the centre of West Ealing for some three years now and I’ll carry on doing so.
BTW the passage of the Olympic Flame through West Ealing centre is the least of our local law and order issues.
Eric – I applaud your campaing, but a police station, whilst well intentioned, would probably be closed / unmanned most of the time anyway. Whats needed (and always promised by politicians at election time) is more police on the streets. A visibile, high profile and “robust” police presence is the best deterant.
Mind you, bringing back the stocks wouldn’t go amiss. Probably cheaper to make / install than the rest of the glitzy stuff the council have installed in Dean Gardens – and far more useful.