12:15pm Monday 15th March 2010
By Alex Lewis
NEIGHBOURS are fighting back to reclaim a park and play area from vandals, drug users and abusive teenagers.
Children and adults alike have been inhibited from using The New England Street Play Area, universally known as the Brickie, by groups of youths, but now residents have banded together to take action.
At a meeting last week, about 30 people formed Friends of The Brickie, to lobby the district council and police, ensure crime and anti-social behaviour are reported and organise regular clear-ups.
Edgar Hill, of New England Street, said: "I have lived here for two years and it has got progressively worse.
"It isn't just the graffiti, vandalism and the teenagers smoking joints - there's class A drug use as well.
"People using the park get sworn at and on one occasion six or seven cars were keyed.
"Shards of glass have been left on the slide, which is really dangerous."
The meeting was attended by police, but Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate Sandy Walkington said the situation illustrated the problems of dealing with anti-social behaviour, highlighted nationally by the Chief Inspector of Police, Denis O'Connor, on Thursday.
He said: "The PCSO (police community support officer) Caroline Davis is a splendid woman, but you want to clone her ten times. She has got to cover the whole of Verulam ward and Batchwood as well."
He said the introduction of CCTV cameras in the Abbey Orchard had escalated problems at the Brickie by moving trouble-makers from one area to the other.
Mr Hill said: "What the inspector said is absolutely right.
"The problem is that the police don't treat anti-social behaviour as a crime.
"Apparently only one or two instances of criminal damage were logged last year, which is nothing like the true picture."
However, he is optimistic the new group will improve the Brickie.
He said: "Already we've persuaded the council to agree to more litter bins, some planting and clearing the bushes people hide in."
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