If you are free on the evening of Wednesday the 15th January, you may wish to attend a public event that is taking place in the Old Carnegie Library, in Walnut Tree Road, Erith. The event is to be a public consultation on the improvements to be carried out to Erith Riverside Gardens, as seen in the photo above - click on it to see a larger version. The Riverside Gardens are being refreshed by London Borough of Bexley's Greater Erith programme thanks to funding secured from the Mayor of London's Good Growth Fund, Following a competitive tender process, the council has now appointed Erect Architecture Ltd as the landscape architect who will lead on the design of the improved gardens. Erect has worked on many parks projects including the Tumbling Bay play area at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, east London. The Bexley Times has misleadingly called the work to be carried out on the Riverside Gardens as "redevelopment" leading some local people to mistakenly think that the gardens are going to be built upon - this is not the case; the gardens are going to be remodelled and made more appealing to local people, and those travelling from further away to visit the only place in the London Borough of Bexley where you can freely access the River Thames. The consultation event will take place from 7pm to 9pm on Wednesday the 15th of January at the Old Carnegie Library which is now run by the charitable community benefit society, The Exchange. This will offer local people the chance to give their views and be an opportunity to meet the team and hear about the plans for the next stages of the project and ask them questions. There will also be displays of case studies and images of their previous work. You can book free tickets for the consultation by clicking here. On top of this, if you have a question that you would like the architects and the development team to answer on the day, you can contact them using this link in advance of the consultation.
Following my republishing of an article on Smart electricity meters originally written by fellow local Blogger Malcolm Knight last week, I have had several readers contact me with their own experiences with such devices. One long time reader, who chooses to remain anonymous, writes:- "My contract with Green Network Energy (GNE) ends 31/7/20 and I expect to change supplier due to their inefficiency. Basically, I had my house wiring tested and had a full RCD distribution box fitted in place of my old wired fuses. All went well once the main earth was connected correctly from the main cable braiding. The certificate received mentioned that the tails from the main fuse to the meter were non compliant (thinner) and that a couple of power cables to an old London Electricity Board Economy 7 timer box didn’t have the correct insulation. I actually think the timer is redundant as the day/night switching is now done remotely. I was told by my electrician that I needed to get UK Power Networks but this turned out incorrect as I should approach my supplier. It took two months to get somebody in and when he arrived he said that the old LEB timer box would need to be removed and a new meter. fitted The wrong cabling couldn’t be done without these changes but he didn’t have GNE's permission to do this. After ringing GNE I was told that it would cost me £155 to change the meter and therefore correct the wiring to the correct spec. I thought that all this would be free to me but obviously I was wrong. I naturally thought that I could wait until the contract with GNE ends, get a new contract with perhaps EDF (cheaper according to website estimates) but I see they have a T and C relating to agreeing to a SMART meter being fitted. This would be free to me but reading your article has made me think. I haven’t decided yet what course to take". The much vaunted, but actually quite apathetic roll - out of Smart energy meters in the UK has hit yet another problem; Consumers who have a smart meter fitted, and then change energy supplier quite frequently find that their meter then stops working, as the communication protocols used by different energy supplier vary considerably - very public attempts to ensure compatibility between newer Smart Meters have been made by various suppliers, but in practice the problem of compatibility still exists in many areas. Government guidance says that since the middle of March 2019 customers should only have been given second generation smart meters (SMETS2). However, eight energy companies are still installing first generation smart meters (SMETS1) as they say the network is not reliable enough to switch customers on to. People living in high rise flats and those sharing a service inlet, or on a pre - paid meter were especially affected. The whole smart meter deployment project has gone seriously off the rails. The second generation of meters is supposed to be able to connect remotely to a national network, which should make switching supplier possible, for the first time for many customers. In reality many suppliers are still installing first generation meters, and even where they are installing the second generation, in many cases the users are complaining that they do not connect, and also the users are still unable to change energy suppliers. Smart Meters send real – time power usage data back to the supplier via a 3G mobile phone signal. This means that the meter does not have to be connected to a home data network. This sounds all well and good; the power company can bill you without having to send a meter reader to your house, and you get the option to monitor your power usage in an almost real – time way. There are however, problems. The data sent from the Smart Meter to the supplier is sent unencrypted, and “in the clear”; it is possible to intercept the data stream, and also a malicious attacker can potentially send instructions to the meter remotely. Several Smart Meter companies do tacitly admit this, but they play the whole lack of security aspect down. Secondly if one discounts the security implications, the various energy companies all supply different Smart Meters, many of which are incompatible with each other, as previously mentioned. If you choose to change your energy supplier, you will need to have your Smart Meter changed again – with the associated additional cost to you that this implies. Admittedly, the first meter you have installed is "free" - actually the cost of the meter is rolled into your overall bill. Tellingly, on the EDF Smart Meter letter I received recently, there are a series of frequently asked questions. EDF initially state in the letter that “your current meter is old and now needs to be replaced – you need to book an appointment for an engineer to carry out this work”. They then go on to stress how old meters can be inaccurate and possibly unsafe. There is a giveaway in the FAQ’s that follow though – and I quote verbatim:- “Occasionally we may be unable to install a Smart Meter, usually due to communications issues with signal strength. If this happens we will not replace your meter, but will contact you again when we believe the Smart Meter national infrastructure will be able to support a Smart Meter in your premises.” There is the smoking gun – they don't actually need to replace the meter for the accuracy and safety concerns expressed earlier – they purely want to do it to make you have a Smart Meter, with all the security, privacy and expense worries that they entail. I have a preferred technique for dealing with such unwanted attention – I ignore everything they send me until they eventually give up and go away. The British Infrastructure Group of MPs and Lords warned late last year that half of smart meters stop working when customers switch supplier, while a tenth were not functioning due to poor mobile phone signal. The average annual saving on a gas and electricity bill by 2020 was estimated in 2014 to be £26, but this has now been reduced to just £11, MPs said. Smart Meters primarily benefit the energy companies, because they no longer need to employ meter readers. The benefits to the consumer are minimal at best, and when allied to the security and compatibility concerns mentioned earlier, they don't add up for me, especially when the much vaunted money saving aspect turns out to be a white elephant. What do you think? Feel free to Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
Further concerns are now being raised about the White Hart African Restaurant, next to Erith Playhouse in the High Street. Following on from its ongoing one out of five star "Scores on the Doors" hygiene rating, which has been in place since last April, and shows no signs of improving at the time of writing. Visitors to the Erith Playhouse have been complaining about illegal parking of White Hart customers on the pavement outside of the restaurant / bar, especially during Friday and Saturday evenings. This has blocked pedestrian access to users of the theatre, which is located next door to the bar and restaurant. One theatre goer, who wishes to remain anonymous commented to me:- "I have recently sent a complaint to Bexley Council regarding the parking at the weekend outside the White Hart Restaurant and wanted to bring it to your attention as well. As you may be aware it has come to the point where on Friday night after being at the theatre both my children had to walk in the road to turn down into Wharfside Close and my wife was unable to walk round with the dog and pushchair on the Friday". This follows criticism from diners in the restaurant from last year; back in July a couple of customers from The White Hart contacted me, complaining about the food served in the restaurant:- "It looked like it came out of a tin". Another customer wrote that:- "We were seated at 7.30pm. I received my food 9.42pm. The last person received their food after 10pm. There was no kind gesture, or proper apology. No discount off the bill for poor service. They admitted that the mistake was on their part but didn’t see how they could ensure that customers left feeling satisfied. Restaurants stay afloat because customers come in and choose to spend their money there. If they have to wait 2.5 hours for food that was pre ordered days in advance, this is considered poor service. The manager refused to be a part of this conversation. They left a server to deal with a matter that was beyond her. I am deeply disappointed with this service and the lack of compassion and lack of professionalism!" It would also seem from the photographs posted online on various social media channels, that the former pub beer cellar, which has been converted into a VIP lounge would appear to be in regular use, despite the licence condition that the cellar could not be used as it did not have a fire exit, which contravenes health and safety legislation, and also, if true, would be in breach of the building's fire certificate, which would render the building legally unusable. I attended the council licencing meeting for The White Hart, and was present when a senior Bexley fire officer underlined this fact. This is all very disappointing. I was hoping that The White Hart would become a destination venue for the town, and a lead venue in regenerating night time socialisation in Erith; at present many people - if they go out at all - journey to Bexleyheath, Dartford or Bluewater, rather than eat and drink locally. This also is disappointing when one considers that the food health standards in Bexley have been improving markedly over the last few years. Bexley continues to be one of the highest rated places to eat out in Greater London in terms of food safety. Currently The White Hart is an unwelcome blot on this record.
The GAME store in Bexleyheath Broadway is shortly to close as part of a programme of 40 GAME stores to close around the country. An official press release was published on Thursday evening announcing the rationalisation. A spokesperson for GAME stated: “We are working closely with landlords throughout the UK to ensure that we do not have to vacate the 40 locations which could lead to a number of job losses. However, we are facing a challenging retail market and GAME with its extensive retail footprint, needs to restructure and landlords need to work with us in setting realistic, fair rents.” The company have not been doing well for a number of years - online hardware purchases, and software downloads from sources such as Steam, or the PlayStation Store have hit physical sales very hard indeed. I do not see a rosy future for GAME - they have not moved with the times. They have high overheads and low profit margins. I feel sorry for the staff, but I feel that GAME are heading towards insolvency. What do you think? Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
You may be aware that the Bexleyheath rail line is closing in February for a period of nine days between Saturday the 15th to Sunday the 23rd of February. The work will take place after four landslips in the past decade, with the most recent being February last year. The process will involve the removal of 2,500 tonnes of mud and trees in the cutting outside of Barnehurst station to reduce the steepness of the cutting slopes; ground anchors and other engineering solutions will be installed to prevent further landslips in the area. The Woolwich and Sidcup lines and the Charlton to Blackheath link will remain open. Concerns had been raised regarding alternative travel arrangements for Bexleyheath Line commuters for the nine days of the line closure. The Bexleyheath based organisation The Community Rail Partnership have been working with the various authorities undertaking the line upgrades during the closure period. The Community Rail Partnership wrote to me earlier last week, saying:- "We are pleased to be able to say as the CRP that a fair few changes were made in response to our representations. We were very shocked but very happy to see the following rail replacement bus services will be in action:- A quarter-hourly bus from Barnehurst to Slade Green (was planned to be half-hourly, we had asked for Barnehurst to Erith but this shall have to do!) - A quarter-hourly bus from Bexleyheath to Abbey Wood direct in both directions (was planned to be on a circle with Welling, so this is an improvement) - Welling will have the option of a quarter-hourly bus either to Abbey Wood or to New Eltham - Falconwood has a quarter-hourly bus to New Eltham. We are also pleased to say that the physical bank works to stabilise the area between Belvedere Road and Barnehurst Road is not all. There are going to be track and other works in the Eltham area, and signalling in the Slade Green area (on the Bexleyheath line) is being amended / improved to give better reliability. Between 06:15 and 08:14, there will be 21 departures from Slade Green or Abbey Wood and 'London'. That includes Thameslink (Blackfriars/St Pancras) and Southeastern (Victoria/Cannon St/Charing X). That's a train on average every 5-6 minutes which, although no better than the standard every 5-6 minutes on the Bexleyheath line we are somewhat hopeful many will have taken the chance to get annual leave / holiday sorted. Some additional trains also operate via Sidcup. As for other items of interest, I did have a chat with James Brokenshire about our 'Roadmap' document. Now, David Evennett was big in favour (and rightly so), but James is of the opinion that, actually, we need not do all of this and instead he is a one man Superhero who will sort this all out himself. Quite frankly, he's deluded and short-termist in mind and is not worth my time, clearly. His constituents can judge the comments he has made as we have made it publicly available". It seems that there will be major disruption to services, despite the additional alternative travel options being deployed during the remedial rail works. If you are affected during the nine day closure period, do contact me with your experiences. You can be anonymous should you so wish.
Bexley Council reported on Friday afternoon that local resident Olusola Owoeye of Manor Road, Erith (shown in the photo above - click on it for a larger view) has been sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of three counts of fraud at the end of a four day trial at Woolwich Crown Court in November 2019. The court heard that, during a five year period of support provided by the London Borough of Bexley, Ms Owoeye had dishonestly received £114,456.15 for rent, council tax, subsistence, food vouchers and bus tickets. Ms Owoeye first applied to Bexley for support in 2013 after she claimed to have been evicted by her landlord for non-payment of rent. As she had Nil Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF)), and had three children, the Council provided housing and subsistence to the family. She was visited in 2015 by the Council’s fraud team and declared no changes in her circumstances. In 2016 she made a financial declaration again stating no changes. In January 2018 a Bexley resident complained to the Council that the property she rented was not up to standard. As she had Nil Recourse to Public Funds she was seen by the NRPF team. She stated that her landlord was Olusola Owoeye, a person known to the team as being in receipt of support. A Land Registry check of the address in Manor Road, Erith revealed that Ms Owoeye had owned the property since 2008. The fraud team took on the investigation and in March 2018, together with the police, attended Ms Owoeye’s address in Crayford where she was arrested and the property searched. Bank statements recovered showed that Ms Owoeye had been receiving rent payments into her son’s bank account in order to deceive the Council. She was also receiving money for child-minding and professional cake-making into the same account. Support ceased after her arrest and she moved back into the property that she owned. A financial investigation revealed that Ms Owoeye had supplied a forged passport and visa to obtain the mortgage and claimed to be a software consultant earning £41,600 per year, when in fact she had no status in the UK. When sentencing took place on the 12th of December, the Judge said that it was an astonishing act of greed which took a significant amount of planning. He added that she was a "thoroughly dishonest person beyond rehabilitation". He also thanked the investigators for exposing the fraud. Councillor Alex Sawyer, Bexley's Cabinet Member for Communities said: "This level of greed and dishonesty takes from those who are in genuine need of help. I am delighted with the successful prosecution, as will our residents and taxpayers be. The Council will now seek to recover the over-payment under the Proceeds of Crime Act."
Now for the weekly safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. The first report is from Barnehurst ward:- "Another good week for Barnehurst with no motor vehicle crime or successful burglaries to report. Only one crime of note to report which was an attempted burglary in Barnehurst Road. Significant tool marks were apparent on the front porch door but entry was not gained as the door had been double locked. This occurred between Monday December 30th and Thursday January 2nd. The next roll out of Met Trace smartwater will be commencing soon with Holmesdale Grove next on the list to receive it. Community contact sessions will begin again with coffee with cops at Barnehurst Golf Course on Tuesday 21st January at 4pm. Other dates in January, February and March are being arranged and you will be notified as soon as these have been confirmed". Belvedere ward:- "Happy New year all. Let's kick things off with two burglary reports. At around 04:00 on Tuesday 7/01/2020 a burglary occurred on Fairmont Close. Two people gained entry through the front door, no damage caused. The home owner heard a noise and found the two in the hallway. Both then ran out of the house And got into a car and drove off. Nothing was taken due to them being disturbed. Also there was a burglary on New Road sometime between 12:00 and 18:30. The suspect had entered by forcing the window on the ground floor. An untidy search was made of the address. Only an ornamental trophy knife was stolen. Another number plate has been found by a helpful NHW Co-ordinator on Halt Robin Road, on the grass verge opposite Gladeswood Road. Only one plate this time but several have been found in this same area over the past year or so. This one was not reported as stolen". Bexleyheath ward:- "Lots of crimes over the past few weeks please revisit security on your home to make sure it is locked and secured when you leave it. Make sure cctv, lights and ring doorbells are working if you are going away. Wednesday 18/12/19 0725 – 2030 Burglary Heversham Road jewellery stolen. Wednesday 18/12/19 1600 – 1615 Attempted Burglary Rochester Drive no entry gained neighbours disturbed. Thursday 19/12/19 1645 – 1700 Theft of Purse whilst in The Card Factory, Bexleyheath Broadway. Thursday 19/12/19 2359 – 0600 Theft From Motor Vehicle Park Grove. Friday 20/12/19 1700 – 1705 Robbery – phone stolen from hand whilst making a call Bexleyheath Broadway near Nat West .Friday 20/12/19 2300 – 2330 Criminal Damage to vehicle whilst parked up Keswick Road. Wednesday 1/01/20 2010 Cineworld Bexleyheath youths causing ASB and criminal damage to items inside location. Friday 3/01/2020 1045 – 1050 Purse stolen from Elderly person In Marks and Spencer. Friday 3/01/2020 0030 – 1000 Theft of mobile phone from inside a vehicle parked up Grove Road. Sunday 5/01/2020 1210 – 1220 Robbery from person near chicken shop Erith Road. Sunday 5/01/2020 2050 Theft of phone from bag on 96 bus near Gala Bingo". Crayford ward:- "Front and rear number plates EX06VJL were stolen from a silver Suzuki Ignis parked at Samas Way between Monday 30th and Tuesday 31st December. There was criminal damage and a tyre slashed to two vehicles, a blue Vauxhall Insignia and a red MG whilst parked at Halcot Avenue between Tuesday 31st December and Wednesday 1st January. A garden shed was broken in to in Green Walk, the lock and padlock were broken between 16.00 Tuesday 24th December and 09.00 on Thursday 26th December, it's not known if anything was stolen. Criminal damage was caused whereby all four tyres were slashed on a vehicle parked in the underground car park at Tanners Close between 22.00 on Wednesday 1st January and 11.00 on Thursday 2nd January. The front lock was broken off a white Mercedes Sprinter and entry gained, damage was caused to the plastic casing around the steering wheel but nothing was stolen, this happened between Tuesday 31 December and Wednesday 3rd January at the Acorn Trading Estate. On Wednesday 3rd January between 5.15-5.30 a white Mercedes Sprinter, number plate PO16WDP with Sainsbury's logo was stolen from Sainsburys, it has a tracker. A corrosive substance was reported to be placed on female's clothing and hair whilst at Hobbycraft on Wednesday 3rd January at 15.05, there have been similar offences reported from Aldi and Poundland. A garage was broken in to at Crayford Way on Friday 5th January between 17.30-21.30, a 55 inch TV, Playstation and tools were stolen. At Claston Close someone attempted to break in to a garage, the padlock and handle were broken. The lock was drilled out and tools stolen from a Mercedes Vito van whilst parked at Hall Place on 8th January between 10.00-11.00. Glass has been stolen from wing mirrors on three Mercedes whilst parked at Virginia Road, Samas Way and Alcock Crescent between Monday 6th and Tuesday 7th January. The window and a light were smashed on a maroon Skoda whilst parked at Crayford Road between 18.00 on Monday 6th January and 6.30 on Tuesday 7th January. We were at Braeburn Park on Saturday afternoon giving out Met Trace packs to local residents and will continue with this in the coming months. There will be a community meeting at Crayford Library in the downstairs meeting room on Saturday 25th January between 10.30-11.30, Crayford SNT police officers will be attending".
Erith ward:- "Weekly update from Erith SNT - We have had a couple of burglaries this week; all details are below in the crimes of note for the week. We have also carried out a warrant been on Crime Scenes and patrolled every part of Erith over the last few days. Also due to low staffing numbers at the moment we have also been helping out across other wards which will include Slade Green and Northumberland Heath, who in turn help out on Erith also when needed. We have our Ward Panel meeting on Tuesday the 4th February if you normally attend these or would like to please contact me for more info like location and time. Upcoming CCS – Tuesday 14th January 1pm Costa coffee Erith. Crimes of note from the week. Again with the theft from motor vehicles items stolen from inside that had been left over night. Please remember do not leave items in your vehicles especially overnight and on show. Theft from MV (Motor Vehicle) Wednesday 01/01/2020 Sandcliff Road - sat nav from the dashboard had been taken. Burg Res (Residential Burglary) Monday 30/12/2019, Christchurch Avenue - VIW (Witness) alleges drinking glasses, lipstick and chocolate missing. No forced entry. Burg Res Thursday 02/01/2020 Bexley Road - unknown suspects have broken in to his home and stolen property. Suspects have climbed over back garden fence, and used a screw driver to break in through back patio doors. Theft from MV Sunday 05/01/2020 Pembroke Road – Car door opened and laptop and tools removed from inside. Theft from MV Saturday 04/01/2020 St. Johns Church Community Hall, West Street, Theft from MV Friday 03/01/2020, James Watt Way – Car broken in overnight smashed window. Attempted Burg Res 07/01/2020, Riverdale Road - Attempted break in. No perpetrators were able to enter the property. Other theft Tuesday 07/01/2020 Nemesis Gym Cross Street - suspects entering the location and stealing the charity box and making off". Northumberland Heath ward:- "Unfortunately over the Christmas period we have a slight increase of Burglaries over the Northumberland Heath and Erith Ward. The roads are listed below: 02/12/19 Burglary at on Colindale Road. 04/12/19 Burglary at Bedonwell Road. 03/12/2019 Burglary at Dalmeny Road, 19/12/2019 - 20/12/2109, Carlton Road Nothing stolen from the address. Entry through the front window. 30/12/2019 Burglary at Beechfield Road. 30/12/2019 Burglary in Hurst Road. 30/12/2019 Attempted burglary at Frinstead Road 31/12/2019 (3920133/19) Shinglewell Road - Burglary - Suspect has gain entry through the front door and stolen car keys and taken victims Land Rover Evoque. Victim has been visited by LPT and been issued a smart water kit. A report of criminal damage on Sussex Road and Lawrence Road Erith. Graffiti tag marks have been sprayed on garages and on a side wall of a property. Northumberland Heath LPT have been able to complete a successful arrest on an outstanding suspect on EMES Road. Female was wanted for fraud offences . Your Local Policing Team have now started issuing Smartwater to Northumberland Heath residents. Beechfield Road have now been issued with the kits including all Burglary victims. If any residents would like a SmartWater pack please contact us. Officers have also been on lots of AID during the Christmas period which has prevented Officers from Patrolling on their Wards". Slade Green and Northend ward:- "In the last week 2 delivery drivers have had attempted thefts of items from their vans and one van was taken but recovered. Both drivers from Amazon and Yodel left the keys in the ignition and the delivery doors open. The relevant advice has been given but please do not fall in to these habits with you own vehicles. The incidents took place in Slade Green Road and Rodeo Close on Sunday and Tuesday this past week. We start the year with a new Neighbourhood Watch group set up on the old Linpac site, known as Egerton Place and the houses situated in the Slade Green Road part of the estate. A huge welcome to the 3 newly recruited coordinators who now cover Newham Way, Richmer Road and Slade Green Road Lincoln Road has a new coordinator who has taken over the whole road on their own so we will be looking for other volunteers to sign up in this road. We have a Community Contact Session this coming Saturday from 0930 in the café at Forest Road. On Sunday we will be by the park in Rainbow Road from 1030am giving out free Smart Water kits for residents. If you would like one, please feel free to come along or contact us so we can arrange to get some delivered to you". Thamesmead East ward:- "On Monday 30/12/19 between the hours of 2:35 am and 2:54 am a burglary occurred in Surlingham Close. Entry was made via the front door ,which was not damaged. Attempted Burglary Between the hours of 5:00 pm and 5:10pm an attempted burglary occurred in Manordeane Road. Unknown males smashed a pane of glass in the conservatory but were disturbed by the informant.CRIME PREVENTION: REMEMBER – lock windows and doors when you go out ,even if only for a few minutes. Make Your Home Look Occupied by Using timer lights. For more advice ,visit www.met.police.uk/burglary Theft from Motor Vehicle A number of motor Vehicle crimes have occurred with all victims residing in Mangold Way. 21/12/19 8:00am – 1pm Victim reported Catalytic Converter removed from Toyota Auris by suspect/s unknown. Criminal Damage to a vehicle , overnight 22/12/19-23/12/19 which was broken into, nothing taken, but the lock was damaged Another report of a Catalytic Converter being stolen on the same day at 11:00am from a Lexus vehicle parked in Turnbury Close. Aspen Green 20/12/19 between 10pm - 06:15am on 23/12/19, No damage caused to the vehicle ,but items stolen. The vehicle has a Keyless facility. Maran Way, between the hours of 6:00pm on 22/12/19 and 08:00am of the 23/12/19, a person unknown entered a vehicle ,nothing taken. Outside a property in Parkway, a van was broken into and window cleaning equipment was stolen .The incident happened on Monday 30/12/19 just after midnight. On the 04/01/20 an London Ambulance Service patient transport vehicle parked in ParkwayY had the drivers window smashed and a mobile phone used for job deployment was stolen between the hours of 8:00pm and 8:32pm.This happened whilst the London Ambulance Service crew were dealing with a patient. Between the hours of 2:40pm on 01/01/20 and 5:20am a vehicle parked in Kale Road, had the rear passenger window smashed ,nothing stolen. However the suspect/s tried to get into the boot from inside the vehicle, as the child seat had been moved over and the back section of the rear split seat had been pulled down. Wolvercote Road Between the hours of 8:00pm on 5/1/20 and 12;00pm on the 6/1/20 a vehicle which previously had a damaged window was entered agin and the passenger headrest was takenAttempted Theft from Motor Vehicle Between the hours of 12:00pm and 12:35pm of the 04/01/20 suspect/s attempted to enter a vehicle parked in Seacourt Road but were disturbed by the vehicle owner". West Heath ward:- "Unfortunately as we have entered the first week of the new year we have three garage burglaries reported to us as below: Bailey Walk - Friday January 3rd 11.50pm – Saturday January 4th 6.45am. Padlock to the garage broken and a child's new bike was stolen. Milford Close – Thursday January 2nd 7.30pm – Friday January 3rd at 9am when the victim discovered the locks had been cut off the garage door two bikes were stolen along with a number of fishing rods. Westergate Road Sunday January 5th 00.05 – 8am,. Garage lock broken and fishing equipment was stolen. One residential burglary in Glenview on Monday January 6th between the hours of 8.20am and 6pm. Entry was gained via the kitchen window and a bedroom door was damaged. It is not known at this stage if anything was stolen. Residential burglary in Selsey Crescent On Tuesday January 7th between 7am – 6.10pm. Entry was gained via smashing the rear patio door. It is not clear if anything was stolen from the property. Theft of a Black Vauxhall Astra from outside a property in Elmhurst on December 31st at 10pm – Wednesday January 1stat 2pm. The vehicle was later recovered back to the owner. Theft of a Black BMW between Tuesday December 31st – 1pm – Thursday January 2nd 9.10am. The owner is still in possession of the keys. A car was left ransacked in Canberra road on Monday January 6th between 01.40 am - to 01.50am. The driver accidentally forgot to lock the vehicle. Thankfully nothing was stolen. The next drop in Police Surgery will be held on Friday January 24th at 4pm in the Library at Bostall Heath".
I received an Email in the early hours of Saturday morning which shocked and saddened me. As has now been widely reported in the press, The drummer and lyricist Neil Peart of Canadian band Rush died of a brain tumour last week. He was only 67. Peart was regarded as the greatest drummer of his generation, and held a Guinness world record as the drummer the greatest number of people have air drummed to. He won more awards for drumming than any other individual in history, and along with his bandmates Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart was made an Officer of the Order of Canada on May 9, 1996. The trio was the first rock band to be so honoured, as a group. Rush - whilst not a household name to many, have the third greatest number of Gold and Platinum albums after The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Dave Grohl of The Foo Fighters states that they are the reason he got into music. The photo above (click on it for a larger view) was taken by me some years ago when I saw Rush play at the Wembley Arena; you can see the full set of photos I took by clicking here. The end video shows Rush in concert, with the track "Tom Sawyer". Should you so wish, you can contact me by Email at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
Further concerns are now being raised about the White Hart African Restaurant, next to Erith Playhouse in the High Street. Following on from its ongoing one out of five star "Scores on the Doors" hygiene rating, which has been in place since last April, and shows no signs of improving at the time of writing. Visitors to the Erith Playhouse have been complaining about illegal parking of White Hart customers on the pavement outside of the restaurant / bar, especially during Friday and Saturday evenings. This has blocked pedestrian access to users of the theatre, which is located next door to the bar and restaurant. One theatre goer, who wishes to remain anonymous commented to me:- "I have recently sent a complaint to Bexley Council regarding the parking at the weekend outside the White Hart Restaurant and wanted to bring it to your attention as well. As you may be aware it has come to the point where on Friday night after being at the theatre both my children had to walk in the road to turn down into Wharfside Close and my wife was unable to walk round with the dog and pushchair on the Friday". This follows criticism from diners in the restaurant from last year; back in July a couple of customers from The White Hart contacted me, complaining about the food served in the restaurant:- "It looked like it came out of a tin". Another customer wrote that:- "We were seated at 7.30pm. I received my food 9.42pm. The last person received their food after 10pm. There was no kind gesture, or proper apology. No discount off the bill for poor service. They admitted that the mistake was on their part but didn’t see how they could ensure that customers left feeling satisfied. Restaurants stay afloat because customers come in and choose to spend their money there. If they have to wait 2.5 hours for food that was pre ordered days in advance, this is considered poor service. The manager refused to be a part of this conversation. They left a server to deal with a matter that was beyond her. I am deeply disappointed with this service and the lack of compassion and lack of professionalism!" It would also seem from the photographs posted online on various social media channels, that the former pub beer cellar, which has been converted into a VIP lounge would appear to be in regular use, despite the licence condition that the cellar could not be used as it did not have a fire exit, which contravenes health and safety legislation, and also, if true, would be in breach of the building's fire certificate, which would render the building legally unusable. I attended the council licencing meeting for The White Hart, and was present when a senior Bexley fire officer underlined this fact. This is all very disappointing. I was hoping that The White Hart would become a destination venue for the town, and a lead venue in regenerating night time socialisation in Erith; at present many people - if they go out at all - journey to Bexleyheath, Dartford or Bluewater, rather than eat and drink locally. This also is disappointing when one considers that the food health standards in Bexley have been improving markedly over the last few years. Bexley continues to be one of the highest rated places to eat out in Greater London in terms of food safety. Currently The White Hart is an unwelcome blot on this record.
The GAME store in Bexleyheath Broadway is shortly to close as part of a programme of 40 GAME stores to close around the country. An official press release was published on Thursday evening announcing the rationalisation. A spokesperson for GAME stated: “We are working closely with landlords throughout the UK to ensure that we do not have to vacate the 40 locations which could lead to a number of job losses. However, we are facing a challenging retail market and GAME with its extensive retail footprint, needs to restructure and landlords need to work with us in setting realistic, fair rents.” The company have not been doing well for a number of years - online hardware purchases, and software downloads from sources such as Steam, or the PlayStation Store have hit physical sales very hard indeed. I do not see a rosy future for GAME - they have not moved with the times. They have high overheads and low profit margins. I feel sorry for the staff, but I feel that GAME are heading towards insolvency. What do you think? Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
You may be aware that the Bexleyheath rail line is closing in February for a period of nine days between Saturday the 15th to Sunday the 23rd of February. The work will take place after four landslips in the past decade, with the most recent being February last year. The process will involve the removal of 2,500 tonnes of mud and trees in the cutting outside of Barnehurst station to reduce the steepness of the cutting slopes; ground anchors and other engineering solutions will be installed to prevent further landslips in the area. The Woolwich and Sidcup lines and the Charlton to Blackheath link will remain open. Concerns had been raised regarding alternative travel arrangements for Bexleyheath Line commuters for the nine days of the line closure. The Bexleyheath based organisation The Community Rail Partnership have been working with the various authorities undertaking the line upgrades during the closure period. The Community Rail Partnership wrote to me earlier last week, saying:- "We are pleased to be able to say as the CRP that a fair few changes were made in response to our representations. We were very shocked but very happy to see the following rail replacement bus services will be in action:- A quarter-hourly bus from Barnehurst to Slade Green (was planned to be half-hourly, we had asked for Barnehurst to Erith but this shall have to do!) - A quarter-hourly bus from Bexleyheath to Abbey Wood direct in both directions (was planned to be on a circle with Welling, so this is an improvement) - Welling will have the option of a quarter-hourly bus either to Abbey Wood or to New Eltham - Falconwood has a quarter-hourly bus to New Eltham. We are also pleased to say that the physical bank works to stabilise the area between Belvedere Road and Barnehurst Road is not all. There are going to be track and other works in the Eltham area, and signalling in the Slade Green area (on the Bexleyheath line) is being amended / improved to give better reliability. Between 06:15 and 08:14, there will be 21 departures from Slade Green or Abbey Wood and 'London'. That includes Thameslink (Blackfriars/St Pancras) and Southeastern (Victoria/Cannon St/Charing X). That's a train on average every 5-6 minutes which, although no better than the standard every 5-6 minutes on the Bexleyheath line we are somewhat hopeful many will have taken the chance to get annual leave / holiday sorted. Some additional trains also operate via Sidcup. As for other items of interest, I did have a chat with James Brokenshire about our 'Roadmap' document. Now, David Evennett was big in favour (and rightly so), but James is of the opinion that, actually, we need not do all of this and instead he is a one man Superhero who will sort this all out himself. Quite frankly, he's deluded and short-termist in mind and is not worth my time, clearly. His constituents can judge the comments he has made as we have made it publicly available". It seems that there will be major disruption to services, despite the additional alternative travel options being deployed during the remedial rail works. If you are affected during the nine day closure period, do contact me with your experiences. You can be anonymous should you so wish.
Bexley Council reported on Friday afternoon that local resident Olusola Owoeye of Manor Road, Erith (shown in the photo above - click on it for a larger view) has been sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of three counts of fraud at the end of a four day trial at Woolwich Crown Court in November 2019. The court heard that, during a five year period of support provided by the London Borough of Bexley, Ms Owoeye had dishonestly received £114,456.15 for rent, council tax, subsistence, food vouchers and bus tickets. Ms Owoeye first applied to Bexley for support in 2013 after she claimed to have been evicted by her landlord for non-payment of rent. As she had Nil Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF)), and had three children, the Council provided housing and subsistence to the family. She was visited in 2015 by the Council’s fraud team and declared no changes in her circumstances. In 2016 she made a financial declaration again stating no changes. In January 2018 a Bexley resident complained to the Council that the property she rented was not up to standard. As she had Nil Recourse to Public Funds she was seen by the NRPF team. She stated that her landlord was Olusola Owoeye, a person known to the team as being in receipt of support. A Land Registry check of the address in Manor Road, Erith revealed that Ms Owoeye had owned the property since 2008. The fraud team took on the investigation and in March 2018, together with the police, attended Ms Owoeye’s address in Crayford where she was arrested and the property searched. Bank statements recovered showed that Ms Owoeye had been receiving rent payments into her son’s bank account in order to deceive the Council. She was also receiving money for child-minding and professional cake-making into the same account. Support ceased after her arrest and she moved back into the property that she owned. A financial investigation revealed that Ms Owoeye had supplied a forged passport and visa to obtain the mortgage and claimed to be a software consultant earning £41,600 per year, when in fact she had no status in the UK. When sentencing took place on the 12th of December, the Judge said that it was an astonishing act of greed which took a significant amount of planning. He added that she was a "thoroughly dishonest person beyond rehabilitation". He also thanked the investigators for exposing the fraud. Councillor Alex Sawyer, Bexley's Cabinet Member for Communities said: "This level of greed and dishonesty takes from those who are in genuine need of help. I am delighted with the successful prosecution, as will our residents and taxpayers be. The Council will now seek to recover the over-payment under the Proceeds of Crime Act."
Now for the weekly safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. The first report is from Barnehurst ward:- "Another good week for Barnehurst with no motor vehicle crime or successful burglaries to report. Only one crime of note to report which was an attempted burglary in Barnehurst Road. Significant tool marks were apparent on the front porch door but entry was not gained as the door had been double locked. This occurred between Monday December 30th and Thursday January 2nd. The next roll out of Met Trace smartwater will be commencing soon with Holmesdale Grove next on the list to receive it. Community contact sessions will begin again with coffee with cops at Barnehurst Golf Course on Tuesday 21st January at 4pm. Other dates in January, February and March are being arranged and you will be notified as soon as these have been confirmed". Belvedere ward:- "Happy New year all. Let's kick things off with two burglary reports. At around 04:00 on Tuesday 7/01/2020 a burglary occurred on Fairmont Close. Two people gained entry through the front door, no damage caused. The home owner heard a noise and found the two in the hallway. Both then ran out of the house And got into a car and drove off. Nothing was taken due to them being disturbed. Also there was a burglary on New Road sometime between 12:00 and 18:30. The suspect had entered by forcing the window on the ground floor. An untidy search was made of the address. Only an ornamental trophy knife was stolen. Another number plate has been found by a helpful NHW Co-ordinator on Halt Robin Road, on the grass verge opposite Gladeswood Road. Only one plate this time but several have been found in this same area over the past year or so. This one was not reported as stolen". Bexleyheath ward:- "Lots of crimes over the past few weeks please revisit security on your home to make sure it is locked and secured when you leave it. Make sure cctv, lights and ring doorbells are working if you are going away. Wednesday 18/12/19 0725 – 2030 Burglary Heversham Road jewellery stolen. Wednesday 18/12/19 1600 – 1615 Attempted Burglary Rochester Drive no entry gained neighbours disturbed. Thursday 19/12/19 1645 – 1700 Theft of Purse whilst in The Card Factory, Bexleyheath Broadway. Thursday 19/12/19 2359 – 0600 Theft From Motor Vehicle Park Grove. Friday 20/12/19 1700 – 1705 Robbery – phone stolen from hand whilst making a call Bexleyheath Broadway near Nat West .Friday 20/12/19 2300 – 2330 Criminal Damage to vehicle whilst parked up Keswick Road. Wednesday 1/01/20 2010 Cineworld Bexleyheath youths causing ASB and criminal damage to items inside location. Friday 3/01/2020 1045 – 1050 Purse stolen from Elderly person In Marks and Spencer. Friday 3/01/2020 0030 – 1000 Theft of mobile phone from inside a vehicle parked up Grove Road. Sunday 5/01/2020 1210 – 1220 Robbery from person near chicken shop Erith Road. Sunday 5/01/2020 2050 Theft of phone from bag on 96 bus near Gala Bingo". Crayford ward:- "Front and rear number plates EX06VJL were stolen from a silver Suzuki Ignis parked at Samas Way between Monday 30th and Tuesday 31st December. There was criminal damage and a tyre slashed to two vehicles, a blue Vauxhall Insignia and a red MG whilst parked at Halcot Avenue between Tuesday 31st December and Wednesday 1st January. A garden shed was broken in to in Green Walk, the lock and padlock were broken between 16.00 Tuesday 24th December and 09.00 on Thursday 26th December, it's not known if anything was stolen. Criminal damage was caused whereby all four tyres were slashed on a vehicle parked in the underground car park at Tanners Close between 22.00 on Wednesday 1st January and 11.00 on Thursday 2nd January. The front lock was broken off a white Mercedes Sprinter and entry gained, damage was caused to the plastic casing around the steering wheel but nothing was stolen, this happened between Tuesday 31 December and Wednesday 3rd January at the Acorn Trading Estate. On Wednesday 3rd January between 5.15-5.30 a white Mercedes Sprinter, number plate PO16WDP with Sainsbury's logo was stolen from Sainsburys, it has a tracker. A corrosive substance was reported to be placed on female's clothing and hair whilst at Hobbycraft on Wednesday 3rd January at 15.05, there have been similar offences reported from Aldi and Poundland. A garage was broken in to at Crayford Way on Friday 5th January between 17.30-21.30, a 55 inch TV, Playstation and tools were stolen. At Claston Close someone attempted to break in to a garage, the padlock and handle were broken. The lock was drilled out and tools stolen from a Mercedes Vito van whilst parked at Hall Place on 8th January between 10.00-11.00. Glass has been stolen from wing mirrors on three Mercedes whilst parked at Virginia Road, Samas Way and Alcock Crescent between Monday 6th and Tuesday 7th January. The window and a light were smashed on a maroon Skoda whilst parked at Crayford Road between 18.00 on Monday 6th January and 6.30 on Tuesday 7th January. We were at Braeburn Park on Saturday afternoon giving out Met Trace packs to local residents and will continue with this in the coming months. There will be a community meeting at Crayford Library in the downstairs meeting room on Saturday 25th January between 10.30-11.30, Crayford SNT police officers will be attending".
Erith ward:- "Weekly update from Erith SNT - We have had a couple of burglaries this week; all details are below in the crimes of note for the week. We have also carried out a warrant been on Crime Scenes and patrolled every part of Erith over the last few days. Also due to low staffing numbers at the moment we have also been helping out across other wards which will include Slade Green and Northumberland Heath, who in turn help out on Erith also when needed. We have our Ward Panel meeting on Tuesday the 4th February if you normally attend these or would like to please contact me for more info like location and time. Upcoming CCS – Tuesday 14th January 1pm Costa coffee Erith. Crimes of note from the week. Again with the theft from motor vehicles items stolen from inside that had been left over night. Please remember do not leave items in your vehicles especially overnight and on show. Theft from MV (Motor Vehicle) Wednesday 01/01/2020 Sandcliff Road - sat nav from the dashboard had been taken. Burg Res (Residential Burglary) Monday 30/12/2019, Christchurch Avenue - VIW (Witness) alleges drinking glasses, lipstick and chocolate missing. No forced entry. Burg Res Thursday 02/01/2020 Bexley Road - unknown suspects have broken in to his home and stolen property. Suspects have climbed over back garden fence, and used a screw driver to break in through back patio doors. Theft from MV Sunday 05/01/2020 Pembroke Road – Car door opened and laptop and tools removed from inside. Theft from MV Saturday 04/01/2020 St. Johns Church Community Hall, West Street, Theft from MV Friday 03/01/2020, James Watt Way – Car broken in overnight smashed window. Attempted Burg Res 07/01/2020, Riverdale Road - Attempted break in. No perpetrators were able to enter the property. Other theft Tuesday 07/01/2020 Nemesis Gym Cross Street - suspects entering the location and stealing the charity box and making off". Northumberland Heath ward:- "Unfortunately over the Christmas period we have a slight increase of Burglaries over the Northumberland Heath and Erith Ward. The roads are listed below: 02/12/19 Burglary at on Colindale Road. 04/12/19 Burglary at Bedonwell Road. 03/12/2019 Burglary at Dalmeny Road, 19/12/2019 - 20/12/2109, Carlton Road Nothing stolen from the address. Entry through the front window. 30/12/2019 Burglary at Beechfield Road. 30/12/2019 Burglary in Hurst Road. 30/12/2019 Attempted burglary at Frinstead Road 31/12/2019 (3920133/19) Shinglewell Road - Burglary - Suspect has gain entry through the front door and stolen car keys and taken victims Land Rover Evoque. Victim has been visited by LPT and been issued a smart water kit. A report of criminal damage on Sussex Road and Lawrence Road Erith. Graffiti tag marks have been sprayed on garages and on a side wall of a property. Northumberland Heath LPT have been able to complete a successful arrest on an outstanding suspect on EMES Road. Female was wanted for fraud offences . Your Local Policing Team have now started issuing Smartwater to Northumberland Heath residents. Beechfield Road have now been issued with the kits including all Burglary victims. If any residents would like a SmartWater pack please contact us. Officers have also been on lots of AID during the Christmas period which has prevented Officers from Patrolling on their Wards". Slade Green and Northend ward:- "In the last week 2 delivery drivers have had attempted thefts of items from their vans and one van was taken but recovered. Both drivers from Amazon and Yodel left the keys in the ignition and the delivery doors open. The relevant advice has been given but please do not fall in to these habits with you own vehicles. The incidents took place in Slade Green Road and Rodeo Close on Sunday and Tuesday this past week. We start the year with a new Neighbourhood Watch group set up on the old Linpac site, known as Egerton Place and the houses situated in the Slade Green Road part of the estate. A huge welcome to the 3 newly recruited coordinators who now cover Newham Way, Richmer Road and Slade Green Road Lincoln Road has a new coordinator who has taken over the whole road on their own so we will be looking for other volunteers to sign up in this road. We have a Community Contact Session this coming Saturday from 0930 in the café at Forest Road. On Sunday we will be by the park in Rainbow Road from 1030am giving out free Smart Water kits for residents. If you would like one, please feel free to come along or contact us so we can arrange to get some delivered to you". Thamesmead East ward:- "On Monday 30/12/19 between the hours of 2:35 am and 2:54 am a burglary occurred in Surlingham Close. Entry was made via the front door ,which was not damaged. Attempted Burglary Between the hours of 5:00 pm and 5:10pm an attempted burglary occurred in Manordeane Road. Unknown males smashed a pane of glass in the conservatory but were disturbed by the informant.CRIME PREVENTION: REMEMBER – lock windows and doors when you go out ,even if only for a few minutes. Make Your Home Look Occupied by Using timer lights. For more advice ,visit www.met.police.uk/burglary Theft from Motor Vehicle A number of motor Vehicle crimes have occurred with all victims residing in Mangold Way. 21/12/19 8:00am – 1pm Victim reported Catalytic Converter removed from Toyota Auris by suspect/s unknown. Criminal Damage to a vehicle , overnight 22/12/19-23/12/19 which was broken into, nothing taken, but the lock was damaged Another report of a Catalytic Converter being stolen on the same day at 11:00am from a Lexus vehicle parked in Turnbury Close. Aspen Green 20/12/19 between 10pm - 06:15am on 23/12/19, No damage caused to the vehicle ,but items stolen. The vehicle has a Keyless facility. Maran Way, between the hours of 6:00pm on 22/12/19 and 08:00am of the 23/12/19, a person unknown entered a vehicle ,nothing taken. Outside a property in Parkway, a van was broken into and window cleaning equipment was stolen .The incident happened on Monday 30/12/19 just after midnight. On the 04/01/20 an London Ambulance Service patient transport vehicle parked in ParkwayY had the drivers window smashed and a mobile phone used for job deployment was stolen between the hours of 8:00pm and 8:32pm.This happened whilst the London Ambulance Service crew were dealing with a patient. Between the hours of 2:40pm on 01/01/20 and 5:20am a vehicle parked in Kale Road, had the rear passenger window smashed ,nothing stolen. However the suspect/s tried to get into the boot from inside the vehicle, as the child seat had been moved over and the back section of the rear split seat had been pulled down. Wolvercote Road Between the hours of 8:00pm on 5/1/20 and 12;00pm on the 6/1/20 a vehicle which previously had a damaged window was entered agin and the passenger headrest was takenAttempted Theft from Motor Vehicle Between the hours of 12:00pm and 12:35pm of the 04/01/20 suspect/s attempted to enter a vehicle parked in Seacourt Road but were disturbed by the vehicle owner". West Heath ward:- "Unfortunately as we have entered the first week of the new year we have three garage burglaries reported to us as below: Bailey Walk - Friday January 3rd 11.50pm – Saturday January 4th 6.45am. Padlock to the garage broken and a child's new bike was stolen. Milford Close – Thursday January 2nd 7.30pm – Friday January 3rd at 9am when the victim discovered the locks had been cut off the garage door two bikes were stolen along with a number of fishing rods. Westergate Road Sunday January 5th 00.05 – 8am,. Garage lock broken and fishing equipment was stolen. One residential burglary in Glenview on Monday January 6th between the hours of 8.20am and 6pm. Entry was gained via the kitchen window and a bedroom door was damaged. It is not known at this stage if anything was stolen. Residential burglary in Selsey Crescent On Tuesday January 7th between 7am – 6.10pm. Entry was gained via smashing the rear patio door. It is not clear if anything was stolen from the property. Theft of a Black Vauxhall Astra from outside a property in Elmhurst on December 31st at 10pm – Wednesday January 1stat 2pm. The vehicle was later recovered back to the owner. Theft of a Black BMW between Tuesday December 31st – 1pm – Thursday January 2nd 9.10am. The owner is still in possession of the keys. A car was left ransacked in Canberra road on Monday January 6th between 01.40 am - to 01.50am. The driver accidentally forgot to lock the vehicle. Thankfully nothing was stolen. The next drop in Police Surgery will be held on Friday January 24th at 4pm in the Library at Bostall Heath".
I received an Email in the early hours of Saturday morning which shocked and saddened me. As has now been widely reported in the press, The drummer and lyricist Neil Peart of Canadian band Rush died of a brain tumour last week. He was only 67. Peart was regarded as the greatest drummer of his generation, and held a Guinness world record as the drummer the greatest number of people have air drummed to. He won more awards for drumming than any other individual in history, and along with his bandmates Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart was made an Officer of the Order of Canada on May 9, 1996. The trio was the first rock band to be so honoured, as a group. Rush - whilst not a household name to many, have the third greatest number of Gold and Platinum albums after The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Dave Grohl of The Foo Fighters states that they are the reason he got into music. The photo above (click on it for a larger view) was taken by me some years ago when I saw Rush play at the Wembley Arena; you can see the full set of photos I took by clicking here. The end video shows Rush in concert, with the track "Tom Sawyer". Should you so wish, you can contact me by Email at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
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