Centrepieces.

Construction work of the Erith Baths development, adjacent to the Erith Riverside Gardens, seen in the drone photograph above, nears the end. Practical completion on the residential development is scheduled for the 31st December; in reality it will probably be a couple of weeks later, due to the Christmas and New Year holidays. The properties are intended to be for shared ownership - part buy, part rent; this is intended to keep them affordable for people on average incomes. However, in doing some research for this article I have found that a median price two bedroomed apartment in the main block would have an overall cost of £310,000. The minimum purchase share of such an apartment will be 35 percent of the overall cost - £108,500. To be eligible for this, a single purchaser will need to have an income in excess of £48,000 a year, or a couple will need a joint income of £43,000. On top of this, the 65 percent rental share of the agreement will add a further £462 per month to the bill. As well as this, a monthly service charge of £225 - £241 will be added, along with a £30 a month rental fee for a parking space - or a one - off outright purchase payment of £10,000. If this was not enough, the apartments come with a 250 year leasehold, which has a ground rent of £100 per year. This to me does not in any way sound affordable. If you would like to refer to the price list and buyer requirements, then please click here to see the complete cost breakdown of all of the apartments; unfortunately information regarding the town houses behind the apartments does not appear to be available at the time of writing. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

The photos above were taken on Friday afternoon in the former Carnegie Library in Walnut Tree Road. A charity art exhibition, followed by an auction of the exhibits is currently taking place. Art is to be sold at auction on Saturday the 1st December, produced by members of the Centrepieces mental health arts project. Hosted by The Exchange. The exhibition is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 3pm, prior to the auction of the exhibits next Saturday, The Exchange say of the exhibition:- "Join us for the 18th Annual Exhibition and Auction of artwork created by artists from Centrepieces Mental Health Arts Project. The event raises money to help keep the organisation running, with 50% of sales going to the artists who are members of Centrepieces, all of whom have experienced mental health problems. This year’s Auction will take place at The Exchange on Saturday 01 December, with previewing times to be advertised leading up to the auction. Advanced bids can be made if people are unable to make the auction date. Centrepieces was founded in 1999 by a group of artists with mental health issues, living in Bexley and the surrounding areas. Originally established with a £5,000 Millennium Award from the National Lottery, Centrepieces was for many years supported by the Crayford Centre, which was part of the local mental health services. It moved in June 2014 to new premises in the Lodge at Hall Place in Bexley, financially supported by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust. Today, Centrepieces consists of 120 artists, many of whom volunteer to help run the project. Centrepieces exists to promote mental health recovery through the arts, creating opportunities for people to take part in art activities, and to exhibit and sell their work; it also tries to promote a better understanding of mental health in the wider public". This is the first public event to be held in the former library, which is currently undergoing conversion into a community centre / arts hub and bar / cafe operated by The Exchange. In December there will be a series of "Pop - Up Cinema" events - more on this next week.

As regular readers may be aware, I keep a close eye on the activities of Havering Borough Council, the London borough on the opposite side of the River Thames to the London Borough of Bexley. Havering is a borough with a very similar geographic layout, an almost identical population demographic, and very similar challenges to Bexley, but it seems to me that Havering seem to do far better in terms of management of resources than Bexley do; it has just been announced that proposals for what is likely to be one of the biggest road and pavement improvement programmes of any London borough have been published this week -  in direct response to what residents say is a major issue. In the 2019/20 budget proposals Havering Council is setting out plans to spend £30 million over the next three years on resurfacing roads and pavements and fixing potholes. This will be a significant increase on the current (2018/19) budget of £3.2 million. The proposed investment in improving Havering’s roads and pavements will see approximately 7.5 miles of roads being resurfaced, that's equivalent to the distance between Romford and the Olympic Park at Stratford, as the crow flies. In addition around 1,000 potholes will be repaired each year. Around 8.8 miles of pavements will also be resurfaced, that’s more than double the distance of the Grand National. The £30m proposed investment comes on top of a multi-million pound investment in sport and leisure facilities in 2018/19 which has already seen the Sapphire Ice and Leisure Centre open in Romford, with a new leisure centre and swimming pool due to open in Hornchurch in 2020. As part of the budget, Havering plans to maintain a weekly refuse collection for residents even when some councils have moved to a monthly collection. Around £250,000 has also been earmarked to improve CCTV to improve community safety. Councillor Damian White, the Leader of the Havering Council said in a recent interview:- "People told us that the quality of care and support for vulnerable people is incredibly important to them – we are protecting spend in that area. People told us that they are worried about the quality of roads and pavements – we are investing significantly to improve them. People told us that, even though we have less crime than most London boroughs, they are worried about safety after dark which is why we are planning to increase investment in better CCTV. People told us that the quality of refuse collection is important – we are one of a minority of councils to retain a weekly collection when others have moved to a fortnightly or even a monthly collection. This is a council that listens to our residents and acts in their best interests.” A somewhat different and refreshing approach when compared to Bexley Council.

Last July I wrote a fairly extensive article on the rather sensationalist leaflet which had been posted through the doors of residents of certain roads in Erith and Slade Green. The leaflet was a reaction to the proposed Bexley regeneration consultation project, which made local headlines last year. You can read the original article by clicking here. Since then, the person(s) behind the leaflet and the website Slade Green Together have been silent - the last update on their website is dated the 21st July 2017. Thus far none of their lurid claims have come to pass, and it has become increasingly evident that the sensationalist leaflet campaign and the website were nothing more than some well - meaning scaremongering. I think that whilst we always need to be vigilant against the more strenuous activities of Bexley Council, in this case the reaction was somewhat disproportionate. The problem is, next time some proposal comes from the council that does not chime well with the local population, there is the danger of a "cry wolf" situation arising.

The critically panned Queen biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" has, as I predicted, defied professional reviewers to take over $411 million on a production budget of $52 million - a remarkable performance. The film is still showing in cinemas, so the gross takings figure is set to increase. It will also do very well when released on Blu Ray and DVD, along with online streaming. The Blu Ray and DVD releases with include around 25 minutes of footage cut from the cinema release - including songs missed from the Live Aid performance which ends the movie. I predict that the physical copy sales of the extended film will be very high indeed. If you have not already seen the movie, I would strongly recommend it.

It was reported last week that The Financial Conduct Authority are finally taking action against companies such as Brighthouse and Perfect Home - "rent to buy" companies which charge customers small amounts each week, from just £3.50, but customers often end up paying back up to three times more than an item is worth. The FCA is also considering banning the sale of extended warranties by BrightHouse and Perfect Home, which could save consumers up to £7.7million per year. BrightHouse's Black Friday sale promotion promises customers its “best deals ever” - but its PS4 bundle with FIFA 19 and Assassins Creed costs more than three times more than buying exactly the same product from Curry's. The APR interest rate Brighthouse quote for the deal is 99.9 percent. I was reading an article recently, in which Karl Dayson, an academic who specialises in the study of affordable finance said that “I can think of no better marker of social deprivation than having a Brighthouse store open in your area”.  If you have not heard of the BrightHouse  stores before, let me explain. Brighthouse are a chain of retailers specialising in household goods such as furniture, washing machines, televisions and cookers. Their unique selling point is that you can purchase goods on credit with no deposit, and with very low weekly repayments. The store is designed to appeal to young families – the aisles between goods on display are wide enough for a child’s buggy to be wheeled easily along them. BrightHouse offer credit to those who would otherwise be unable to qualify for it – mainly people on benefits. This all sounds great – helping those otherwise unable to afford the basics of a home to get what they need. The downside of it is the eye wateringly high interest rates that BrightHouse charges. Several debt charities have expressed dismay at the high charges. A basic washing machine that costs £399 in Curry's will cost £1,560 from Brighthouse, albeit broken down into “affordable” £10 weekly payments at an interest rate of 69.9 percent APR. Just like the notorious pay day lenders, the poorer you are, the more you pay for goods and services. Debt advisor Anne Young, who has advised many former Brighthouse customers said “These companies are preying on people who cannot afford to go anywhere else. I do think that they are robbing the poor, when you look at their prices. They are charging a ridiculous amount for goods you can buy on the high street for a third of the price”.  To give an example, a small television which costs £99.99 in Argos would cost a total of £606.84 paid over a total of 156 weeks. BrightHouse argue that their TV is covered against malfunction and accidental damage over the course of the repayment period, but this needs to be set against the fact that you could buy six similar televisions for that amount of money elsewhere. BrightHouse claim that if you can find an identical product anywhere on the high street, that they will match the price. This is actually quite difficult, as BrightHouse have a lot of “own name” brands, such as Baird; these are simply not available anywhere else; they also include a number of options that other retailers on the high street don’t, and the pricing structure is so bewilderingly complex that direct comparison is rather difficult. They plan to open another four hundred stores to add to the 288 that they currently operate, which are usually located in areas with high levels of poverty. The demographic for BrightHouse customers is fairly straightforward; a majority are women between 26 and 45 years of age; they earn less than £13,000 a year, and around fifty percent are receiving at least part of their income in the form of benefits. You can really view BrightHouse as a cross between somewhere like Argos and loan company – and its’ customers are overwhelmingly people who do not qualify for a credit card or score too lowly for a conventional, lower interest loan. The kind of goods that the company sells (furniture / consumer electronics) do tend to depreciate over the course of the loan period, to the point that by the time the loan is fully paid off, the goods are essentially worthless. On top of this, BrightHouse have a policy of repossessing goods if payments are not met, even if the customer is only one or two payments away from completing the purchase. Normally a court order is required to repossess goods when more than a third of the credit payments have already been met. BrightHouse have a nasty habit of sending round bailiffs without such legal niceties – exploiting the fact that many of their customers are ignorant of the law. All in all, BrightHouse succeed because they can – their target customer does not qualify for a loan from a conventional source, and is not aware of low cost resources such as credit unions. They rely on the customer being sucked in to the colourful, brightly lit and shiny shop with the promise of low repayments, even if they do end up paying for what seems like half a lifetime. The appeal of the “here and now” rather than waiting and saving to buy from a store that offers no credit, but a consequently far lower purchase price is something that BrightHouse encourage – many of their customers have little academic education, and don’t necessarily realise that they may only be paying back a tenner or so a week for their flat screen television, but doing so for several years means it is costing them a pile more money than it should. In my opinion, BrightHouse operate a legal business; whether they operate a moral one is open to debate. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

One subject that is allied to the piece on BrightHouse is the whole vexed subject of people on a low income who have a very large flat screen television. Some academic studies have been carried out on the subject, and the results have been actually quite surprising. It has been noted for some years that wealthier, middle class people tend to have fewer televisions in their houses, and they tend to be older models with smaller screens.  The reason for this is thought to be that middle class people generally spend less time watching the television, as they are likely to attend theatre, cinema, sports and the arts, as well as eating out and socialising on a regular basis. The television is regarded as an incidental item. Researchers found that people with lower incomes tend to be more home – centric; their social lives are more likely to revolve around their living rooms and the television; they tend not to go out much, and when they do, it is more likely to be local to them – to a friend or neighbour living nearby. Thus they place a far higher value on items for the home like a large television or games console, which is their principle source of leisure and entertainment. This certainly seems to make sense – and would no doubt drive the Daily Mail into a frenzy should it come across the story.  I suppose that there are exceptions to this though;  the world has changed greatly in the last decade or so; fast broadband connections mean that all sorts of media content can be streamed to the home; you no longer need to go to the inconvenience of a cinema visit, when you can see the movie in full HD quality in the comfort of your own home. I personally have little time for the theatre, and all of the hassle that it entails. I do like a live gig every so often, but nowadays it has to be something really special to entice me out of Pewty Acres on a cold and wintery evening.

The striking photo above was sent to me by a reader who prefers to remain anonymous. It shows the view out over the River Thames from one of the apartments above the Erith Riverside Shopping Centre, complete with an accompanying rainbow. The photo was shot from above the Erith Riverside Fish and Steak Restaurant - a lovely venue with some great food. The problem, as I have stated before, is that the restaurant is very under - used. I was talking to a reader last week, and he and a small group of friends visited the restaurant on a recent Friday evening - apart from his group, the place was empty, at what many would consider to be potentially their busiest time. It would seem that the fish and chip takeaway side of the business is doing adequately, but the sit down restaurant business is struggling - I have walked past on multiple occasions to see the place empty at times when one would expect it to be bustling. It is a great shame, as my own experience eating in the Riverside Fish and Steak Restaurant was extremely good. I think part of the problem is that Erith residents don't go out to socialise in the town in the evening. If they want to go for a drink and something to eat, they go to Bluewater, Dartford or Bexleyheath - the evening socialisation culture just does not currently exist locally. It does not help that Erith town centre does not have a pub worthy of the name - The Running Horses in Erith High Street is a shadow of its former self that struggles on with a small handful of customers, as I have written about at some length in the past. If a new owner would come along and invest in the run - down establishment, I feel that it would do much to reinvigorate the place, but I don't see this happening any time soon.

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly a report from Barnehurst ward:- "One crime of note to report this week which is a burglary. On Thursday 15th November in Westfield Road between 12.30am – 6.30am. Suspect(s) have entered a semi-detached property whilst the occupiers were sleeping. Tool marks were discovered on the front UPVC porch door and the suspects have used the wheelie bin belonging to the property to aid climbing into the back garden, the rear French doors were found to be open. Property taken was a bag containing an iPad and personal documents. It is believed that suspect(s) were looking for the keys to the car parked on the driveway. If you are able, try and store all wheelie bins in the back garden, consider using a padlock and chain to secure to a fence or wall away from the house. Traditionally burglaries increase country wide this time of year, with Christmas approaching and the darker nights. Let's not make it easy for them. Secure your property as best you can, always double lock UPVC doors and windows. The team will be happy to pay you a visit to offer crime prevention advice. We will be holding a series of street briefings over the coming weeks to reach as many people as possible in regards to crime prevention. Invites will be delivered by the team a couple of days prior to the event informing residents of time and location. Please follow us on twitter @MPSBarnehurst for all the latest updates and crime prevention advice". Belvedere ward:-"After our recent ward panel meeting, it was decided that the team will be concentrating our efforts around burglary, road safety/ traffic and also ASB (Anti-Social behaviour) offences. This week the team have been making enquiries in relation to the recent burglary in Lower Road, calling at neighbouring properties in an effort to gain CCTV images of those responsible. There were further burglaries on the ward at the start of the week, on Sunday 18th in Heron Hill and Monday 19th in Ripley Road. PC Holmes has assisted officers from the neighbouring Erith ward in dealing with an assault in Erith Town centre and a shoplifter in Erith shopping centre. The team attended a strategy meeting with Bexley Council in relation to a troubled youth who lives on the ward. This was a positive meeting with various plans put in place to assist and provide support to the youth and his family. As a follow up to the recent warrants undertaken by the team, PC Holmes this week interviewed 3 people in relation to drugs offences. All three gave full admissions and were given cautions". Bexleyheath ward:- "We have had a burglary reported that happened on Monday 19/11/2018 along Dorothy Evans Close Bexleyheath, a rear window was smashed to gain entry to the property. Also, on Tuesday 20/11/2018 – there was another burglary reported along Latham Road Bexleyheath with little information. We have had received information recently that one resident had heard a bang at the front of their property and had noticed a male running away early hours in the morning. If you do notice any suspicious behaviour, please make sure Police are called.Saturday 17/11/2018 – There was a report of theft along the Broadway Bexleyheath. Saturday 17/11/2018 – Theft from motor vehicle along Highfield Road Bexleyheath. Items taken from inside the vehicle. There was an arrest made for possession of cannabis in the Marriott Car Park, also a vehicle was stopped with no insurance. The team conduct regular hi-visibility patrols. Also patrols are conducted in the car park areas and the Broadway to reduce anti-social behaviour including Martens Grove Park. We also attended the Christmas Tree Lights being turned on along the Broadway recently. If you do wish to pass on information to Police then please contact Crime Stoppers on 0800 555111. Please do not hesitate to contact us via Twitter, Facebook, email and the ward phone. Remember, in an emergency please dial 999 and 101 for non-urgent reporting". Crayford ward:- "We are sorry to report there has been an increase in burglary in the Crayford area this last week. Between 19.30 on Friday 16th November and 18.30 on Monday 19th November a burglary occurred at Hall Place Crescent. The property had been locked and secure and entry was made via a rear bedroom window, an untidy search and unknown at this stage what may be missing. On Monday 19th November between 11.00-16.00 entry was made to a property in Crayford Way by smashing a rear patio door, items had been disturbed within the property, it is believed the suspect (s) were disturbed. There have been two burglaries in Green Walk. The first occurred between 07.00-20.25 on Monday 19th November, the victim came home to find the kitchen window open and signs of entry, rooms had been disturbed but at the time of reporting it was unclear if anything had been stolen. The second occurred between 07.30 on Friday 16th November and 07.30 on Tuesday 20th November, the victim came home to find a front window open, entry was via the rear kitchen window and jewellery was stolen. Please make your home look like someone is at home, lights on, timer lights, 'fake TV', radio on are just a few suggestions. Ensure windows and doors are securely closed and locked. Maybe consider having CCTV or a burglar alarm installed. For more information please look at www.met.police.uk. A silver Honda 125 was stolen from a rear garden in Marden Crescent overnight on Thursday 15th November. A large quantity of food items were stolen from Greggs on Friday 16th November at 14.40. The suspect was described as a white Female wearing a burgundy track suit and she had a baby in a pram with her. Body panels, front number plate, front grill and front bumper were stolen from a van parked in Glebelands between 20.45 pm Thursday 15th November and 06.30 on Friday 16th November. A silver Citroen Berlingo LV68KPE was stolen from the forecourt of Wilmoths Citroen Dealership in London Road, it was noted that the keys had been stolen too, they had been in the showroom. On Friday 16th November number plates ML09UPV were stolen from a vehicle parked in Mill Place. The correct vehicle they should be attached to is a white Vauxhall Combo 1700. There have been many reports of anti-social behaviour by youths in the town centre, riding bicycles at people and traffic, throwing stones, taking what is not theirs, abusive and intimidating behaviour. This is not acceptable and we would like to identify these young people to make their parents aware. We are also reviewing CCTV and will refer these youths for intervention once identified". Erith ward:- "Burglary on Bexley Road. A male entered front door and stole cash, we have spoken to all residents in this area and gave them some advice. We have been working with Bexley collage and have some joint plans for later in the year. Remember people have started Christmas shopping so if you have, make sure you do not leave items on show when you leave the house and overnight or even in your car. You will see us in Erith High Street a lot in the run up to Christmas so make sure you say hello. Crime this week - Criminal Damage U£500 Tuesday 30/10/2018 Butler Drive - By unknown suspects smashing Victims vehicle rear window. Shoplift <£200 Thursday 15/11/2018 16:25:00 Erith High Street - Suspect hit victim on the legs with a walking stick due to being annoyed with his playing; Theft of cycle Friday 16/11/2018 Avenue Road - By unknown suspect(s) removing pedal cycle from venue without consent of owner; Making off Saturday 17/11/2018 15:36:00 Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc, James Watt Way; Burg Res Friday 09/11/2018, Lower Road – entered through back door and items stolen; C/Dam Vehicle U£500 Saturday 17/11/2018 Park Crescent; Shoplift <£200 Saturday 17/11/2018, Erith High Street – goods taken; Criminal Damage U £500 Wednesday 20/11/2018 West Street – car window smashed; Theft Thursday 21/11/2018, St Johns Road - Unknown suspects have climbed through an open window and conducted an untidy search whereby property have been taken. Our next Contact Session is Wednesday 28th November 1300 - 1400 at Costa Coffee, Erith. Feel free to pop along".

Northumberland Heath ward:- "The team have been conducting violent crime disorder patrols throughout the weekend, specifically targeted in hotspot areas across Erith. This has been a proactive and preventative initiative by Bexley Police and not in response to any specific intelligence or incident in the area. During the patrols, PC Smith from the North Heath team arrested an elderly male, who had struck a young child with a walking stick in the Riverside Shopping Centre. This matter was fully investigated and the male was reported for common assault and he has received a Community Resolution as a result of this. We also spent much of the weekend patrolling through Northumberland Heath's current ASB and crime hotspot area's. In all of the areas patrolled, late into the evening's all appeared well. We have unfortunately had a few incidents of note reported this last week. Residential burglary in Mortimer Close on 17/11/2018 between 12pm - 10pm. A glass panel at the rear of the property has been smashed and entry gained. An untidy search of the entire property has taken place and mainly jewellery items and some cash has been stolen. Attempted burglary in Avenue Road on 17/11/2018 between 4:30pm – 8:30pm. An attempt has been made to force entry to the side door of the property. The house alarm which sounded appears to have disrupted the offenders and no entry was gained. Two further burglaries have also been reported in Brook Street and Eastry Road but both appear to be of a civil dispute in nature and no property appears to have been taken. A van has been broken into and tools stolen from within on Frinsted Road at some points between 19th – 20th November.  A suspicious incident of robbery / GBH has also been reported to have taken place in Hind Crescent on 18/11/2018 at approximately 12:30am. If you have any information in relation to any of these incidents please report this to the police and continue to be vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour or activity you see. . I would like to also remind you that the Bexley SNB/ BCSP public meeting on ‘tackling violent crime' is being held at King Henry School, Avenue Road on 29/11/2018 between 7pm to 9pm". Slade Green and Northend ward - no reports this week. Thamesmead East ward:- "Good News Story - On Thursday 15/10/18 PC Nana came across 2 youths with 2 motorbikes the two males made off, leaving behind one bike they were unable to get started. Also left at the scene was personal property belonging to the suspects these have been sent to forensics. On Friday 16/11/18 Working in partnership with Peabody wardens 2 stolen bikes were recovered victims updated. Wednesday 14/11/18 between 10pm-2am Theft of Number Plates Kale Road; Friday 16/11/18 Burglary Turnberry Close between 5-9pm Entry through rear UPVC door; Saturday 17/11/18 between 10pm-11am Theft of Number Plates Kale Road; Tuesday 20/11/18 between 3am-12pm Criminal Damage Hinksey Path to fence panel". West Heath ward:- "During the week commencing 14th November we have been working with our neighbouring teams to carry out high visibility burglary patrols across our three wards. The ward has had one attempted burglary - in Leckwith Avenue on Wednesday 14th November at 0430 hours. The house alarm was activated whilst the residents were sleeping. On Wednesday 14th November between 0529 – 0530 hours in Axminster Crescent a vehicle and keys were stolen, entry was gained via an insecure door. Between 1955 – 2015 on Friday 16th November in Lodge Hill patio doors to the property were smashed, an untidy search was conducted and jewellery stolen. In Leckwith Avenue on Monday 12th November between 0500 – 1430 hours a vehicle had its windscreen smashed. Between 0100 – 0430 hours a vehicle was stolen in Gypsy Road, no keys were taken. Our next community contact session will be on Friday 30th November in Brampton Road between 3 – 4pm. We look forward to speaking to you about any issues which may be of concern to you".

Further to my prediction in the summer that the Metropolitan Police were about to change their strategy when dealing with motorbike and scooter criminals, an announcement was made on Friday in this respect. Normally I never feature stories that have made the national news, as there is no point in duplicating information from other, more professional sources, but in this case the story was actually broken locally, and historically only later became of national importance. It just goes to show that something that originally started as a local crime and anti social behaviour issue centred around Thamesmead, Abbey Wood, and Lower Belvedere but now creates interest nationally. In an interview published by Time 107.5 FM on Friday, the following information was made public:- The head of the Met’s Operation Venice Team says they will be pursued even when they ride dangerously and discard their helmets. Moped crime has been in the headlines after a spike in the last few years. Police say there’s been a large reduction with 44 percent fewer moped crimes January 2018 to October 2018 than the same 10 months of 2017. There was also a 38 percent drop in moped thefts in the same period. Police say moped crime can happen at any time of the day or night. Victims are often targeted as they come out of tube stations or at transport hubs. Thieves also snatch handbags, high-value watches, and other items. Police are using a range of tactics across Greater London to tackle offenders, including DNA "Smart Water" forensic tagging and the use of automatic tyre deflation devices. Commander Amanda Pearson said: “There is a perception that if you remove your helmet or fail to stop for police when requested to do so we will not take any further course of action. This is untrue. The public quite rightly expects us to intervene to keep London safe. Our highly trained police drivers weigh up the risks and decide upon the most appropriate tactics in those circumstances.  Offenders on mopeds and motorcycles who attempt to evade the police are making a choice that puts themselves and others at risk. So our message is clear: we can, we will and we do target those involved in moped and motorcycle crime at every opportunity.” Footage released on Friday by the Met shows the tactics that specially trained drivers are able to use to reduce the need for pursuits and prevent injury occurring to offenders and members of the public. You can see the results in the video embedded below. Metropolitan Police drivers successfully ramming scumbag illegal scooter and motorbike riders off the road - something that they should have been allowed to do a very long time ago. I just wish they would adopt best practice from the Brazilian Police. In parts of Brazil, If an illegal bike rider does not come to a halt immediately upon order, the Police ram the bike off the road, then reverse back over the rider just to make sure the job is properly done. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Carnegie scaffolding.

The two photos above were taken by me on Thursday afternoon; they show the scaffolding being erected around the old Carnegie Library in Walnut Tree Road, Erith. Finally this outstanding, historic local building is being refurbished after years of being neglected by Bexley Council. I understand that work will begin in January, though details are somewhat sketchy at present.  More in future updates.

Well, the News Shopper have finally caught up with the scoop that I published last Sunday - the story about Bexley Council no longer supplying recycling hoppers for empty drinks cartons and plastic packaging at their recycling facilities around the borough. The News Shopper have finally reported the story, over a week after I broke it. Cabinet member for community safety, environment and leisure, Councillor Peter Craske said in a News Shopper interview that:- “We pride ourselves on being the top London borough for recycling waste and we urge all our residents to recycle their waste responsibly. Unfortunately, because of the minority spoiling these sites, it is no longer cost-effective to keep them running for the little recyclable plastics and cartons they produce. We hope that residents will continue to recycle as much as they can through their normal weekly collections". I would be not at all surprised if Craske and his council buddies have to backtrack on this decision in the not too distant future. It is almost certainly going to increase the amount of illegal fly tipping in the borough. I understand that Bexley Council spends something in the region of £300 per load of fly - tipped materials that they hire their waste contractor to collect. Bearing in mind that Bexley Council claim to have the highest rate of waste recycling in Greater London, this seems to be a very short - sighted and retrograde move, and one that I strongly feel that they will soon regret.

The congestion situation at the Dartford River Crossing shows no signs of improving; the Woolwich Ferry has once again either been completely unavailable, or reduced to a single ship - the vessels currently in service are at the end of their service lives, and are repeatedly breaking down. New ships are on order, but until they arrive in the summer of next year - and go into service after new mooring berths are constructed - work which will begin next October, all things being equal. The ferry service will close completely during the construction work, so it is quite likely the upgraded ferry service will not actually start until early in 2019. The new ships will be called the 'Ben Woollacott', after a former deckhand on the ferry who died in an accident, and the 'Dame Vera Lynn', after the legendary singer who was born in Woolwich. As of now, we have nearly a further year of disruption and loss of service whilst the old and worn out ships have to continue to provide the much needed ferry service. As previously mentioned, many lorries are unable to use the Blackwall Tunnel, which was not designed for modern, lorry based, shipping container type traffic; consequently many lorries use the Woolwich Ferry - but if this is unavailable, as has regrettably been the case on many days over the last few weeks, the heavy lorries have to go massively out of their way and travel down to the Dartford River Crossing. Not only does this greatly add to the congestion, but it increases the level of air pollution in the area. Historically, the Dartford River Crossing has encountered challenges ever since it was first constructed, and over the course of the years, several interesting and creative approaches have been made. Back in December of 2013, I wrote about a short lived bus service that carried cyclists through the tunnel. Last week I was contacted quite out of the blue by a professional transport expert called John Burch; John and I have known each other for more years than I care to recall, although we had lost contact a long time ago. John had come across the piece I wrote on the specialist bus service, and agreed to write a guest article on the unusual bus service for cyclists using the Dartford River Crossing. John writes:- "The original Dartford - Purfleet tunnel was formally opened to traffic on 18th November 1963. The joint committee formed to operate the tunnel had decided on safety grounds, that cyclists needed to be transported through the tunnel and anticipated such a need for transport that a fleet of 5 lightweight specialised double deck buses were to be ordered. These would allow the service to operate daily every 6 minutes from 0600 – 2200. The Ministry of Transport drew up specifications for 5 vehicles and an invitations to tender was issued in August 1961. The tender was won by Strachans Coachbuilders. The chassis was a Ford Thames Trader with a Ford 6D diesel engine. London Transport had been ordering Thames Traders for its service vehicle fleet at the time which probably influenced the decision of the chassis. The cost of the whole fleet was a little over £12,000. They had 33 seats in the top deck which was reached by climbing two short stairways on each side. The vehicles also had 3 ladder like steps below the stairway to be used to board or alight away from the special platforms. The vehicles reversed into one of a pair of loading bays on each side of the tunnel. These had surrounding platforms for loading the bicycles and to allow ease of access to the top deck. The lower deck could carry 23 ordinary cycles and had a large rear accessed boot area for the carriage of tandems, perambulators, sidecars and tricycles. When they were first constructed the vehicles were found to fail the tilt test because of their strange construction. They had to be extensively modified. The frame height was lowered by using special springs and a non standard front axle, which also gave a wider track. The rear wheel track was also increased. Steel rebound straps having rubber buffers were provided for both axles and the rear springs were fitted with Metalastik rubber spring aids. They were 30’ long, 7’10” wide, 14’ 3” high, with a wheelbase of 17’ 8½” and track of 5’ 10”. Ford had to undertake various modifications to get the vehicles through the tilt test. Then as late as October 1963 the Tunnel Manager raised concerns about the safety of the vehicles. The driver could only see a very restricted view of the passenger compartment and he was worried that anyone moving around on the bus could easily fall from the open stairway. This may have been why the vehicles were fitted with special 9-00-20 (10-ply) tunnel type, with a special tread on the sidewalls to resist scuffing on the kerb. Similar tyres had been used on normal London buses operating through existing Thames tunnels for many years. This work was undertaken at the old Poplar LT garage. The decision was taken to get London Transport to operate the vehicles and the nearest garage was the Country Bus department garage at Dartford. This was my local country bus garage. The vehicles were all based here for maintenance and operational purposes. They were given LT fleet numbers TT1-5 (526-530FJJ). They carried London Transport’s green Country Bus livery, but were always actually owned by the Dartford Tunnel Joint Committee and bore the legend DARTFORD TUNNEL CYCLE SERVICE. Originally four vehicles were required for the service with one spare. I have a copy of the original timetable which allows for a 6 minute headway service, but it soon became apparent that this was far too ambitious. The service requirement was reduced and by April 1964 it was down to one bus. With costs running at £2,550 per month and revenue of only £45 per month the service was abandoned in October 1965. The TT class vehicles were replaced by an on demand Dartford Tunnel Land Rover towing a special bike carrying trailer. I used this later service several times myself at a cost of 6d per single journey! The TTs were stored first at Dartford and then at Northfleet garage before being disposed of. All five TT class vehicles were sold to Don Everall commercial vehicle sales in Wolverhampton in March 1966. Don Everall was a Ford dealership and was also a coach operator running, not surprisingly, a lot of Ford coaches. TT3 was known to have been used briefly by Don Everall as a mobile advertising hoarding for their coach our programme and then subsequently during 1968 as a campaign vehicle against potential nationalisation. This doesn’t seem to have saved their coach fleet from acquisition by the National Bus Company during the late 1970s. There was little interest in purchasing these specialised vehicles from Don Everall. Later in 1966 TT1 was used by Trucks and Palletts (Scotland) Limited based in East Kilbride where it was used in connection with experiments for a pedestrian controlled bus transporter. The battery-electric Bus Transporter was a piece of equipment designed to move buses. It had a lifting capacity of 5 tons and a towing capacity of 10 tons. It was claimed to be a safe, simple and efficient means of towing buses and other heavy vehicles under construction or during repair and maintenance operations. It featured a powered hydraulic lift. I believe that TT1 was acquired to demonstrate this lifting unit. I remember reading reports about this at the time as the vehicle was observed by enthusiasts at the East Kilbride location. I think it may later have returned to Don Everall, so perhaps it was only on loan or hire. Don Everall’s own driving school used two of the TT class vehicles for driver training. One at least was still being used for this purpose during 1967. All except TT4 were eventually scrapped. Their mechanical components were presumably recycled for further use. TT4 was the only other Dartford Tunnel cycle bus to find a new owner. It was sold to Shrewsbury Corporation for, I believe, conversion into a mobile library. Whether this ever actually happened I don’t know, but the vehicle certainly bore the Corporation coat of arms and carried a faded blue livery. Shrewsbury Corporation ceased to exist in 1974 following local government re-organisation, which suggests TT4 was sold by the corporation before then. Nothing more was heard of the vehicle for some years and it was assumed it had been scrapped. In February 1985 I joined a new company set up jointly by Leon Daniels, then MD of London Pride Sightseeing and Peter Newman, Chairman of Ensignbus. I found myself working with a whole bunch of transport enthusiasts and thus began one of the happiest periods in my career. A couple of months after starting there, Leon told me that he and some of the others were planning a few days away and asked if I’d like to come along? He told me that there was something that they were going to see that I might find interesting. So off we went late one afternoon driving to Shropshire. We booked into a B and B in the Marches that Leon had used before. The following day we headed off to a location that Leon wanted to keep secret. He took us to an old quarry where a dealer had stored lots and lots of old Land Rovers and other military vehicles. One of Leon’s colleagues had come across this place several years previously while looking for old Land Rover parts. It was when he had entered the quarry that he found something quite astonishing. Knowing Leon’s interest in buses he passed on the location and Leon later went there and found the vehicle that he had taken me to see. We headed into the old quarry passing derelict old vehicles until we found the vehicle which was parked up against a cliff face. I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was a TT class vehicle...". Part two of John Burch's story of the Dartford Tunnel Cycle Service Bus will be told next week. Do look out for it; feel free to leave a comment below. or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

After many years of having a policy of closing down public lavatories, I am beginning to wonder if Bexley Council are now beginning to have some kind of rethink. I noticed that when I passed on Wednesday afternoon, the public toilets located on the corner of Heron Hill and Woolwich Road, opposite the Eardley Arms pub, and adjacent to the former Belvedere Splash Park; the toilets were open, and some workers were refurbishing them. The work seemed to be quite extensive, and whilst very much welcomed, it did get me wondering if the council will extend the work to other closed toilets? I know that the public lavatories in Erith Town Centre were not closed for the reasons the council stated - according to Bexley Council. they were closed due to vandalism, but in reality they were closed to save money on cleaning and maintenance. Instead a privately run automated loo was installed opposite the Health Centre. Not only dues this unit charge for use, whereas the previous lavatories were free to use, but it is also out of operation on occasion. Do you have any information on local public toilets, then please let me know by Emailing me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

I wrote last week on the subject of moped criminals, and how it seemed to be that their local activities seem to have been curtailed of late; I gave the opinion that it could at least partially be attributed to the cold and wet weather keeping them indoors. I have since discovered that the Police, both locally and over other parts of Greater London have been very active in combatting these criminals. A new squad has been set up in Central London to deal with the threat from the extremely mobile crooks. Undercover police snatch squads are dragging suspected moped thugs off their bikes in a radical new tactic to combat thieves and smash and grab raiders. Teams of plain clothes officers are mounting ambushes on criminals using mopeds or scooters while they are caught in slow moving traffic as they ride into the West End. They are deploying the snatch squads at traffic “pinch points” and strike when the moped riders are forced to come to a halt. Four thieves on two mopeds robbed people of mobiles in Islington and Camden before police deployed a ‘stinger’ to trap one of the bikes in Islington.  Earlier the same day seven men on mopeds raided a luxury watch store in Fleet Street while brandishing a Samurai sword, bars and knives. The “snatch and grab” tactic is being deployed by officers in Westminster as an alternative to the more risky policy of pursuing moped robbers at speed through the streets. Whilst these crimes are being carried out in central London, there is intelligence that some of the crooks involved are coming from other parts of the capital, including South East London and North Kent. So far, two moped riders have been dragged off their machines by police. One has been jailed for three years for robbery offences and another youth, aged just 14, has been charged with a series of moped enabled crimes. A third youth was also tracked down later and arrested and charged. The tactic is one of several new innovative methods being pursued by the Met to combat the scourge of moped robbers in London. Police are using the “stinger” devices to deflate tyres and a forensic Smart Water spray to mark individuals committing offences so they can be identified later. The spray has been used more than eight times across London in recent weeks. Detectives have been forced to adapt their tactics because of the risks of pursuing scooters at high speed through London’s crowded streets. This new "Get Tough" policy has also started to produce results locally; a well - known local repeat offender called Luke Jervis, aged 28, of Darenth Road, Welling was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on Wednesday, 29 November after pleading guilty to dangerous driving. Jervis was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment for driving his off-road motorcycle dangerously, without insurance and whilst already disqualified. In addition to the prison sentence, Jervis received a further five-year driving disqualification and the motorcycle he was in possession of when arrested will be destroyed. The criminal idiot had been illegally riding on Sunday, October 1 between 1pm and 5pm, Jervis had been caught red handed, performing high-speed stunts in Norman Road, Lower Belvedere, on an illegal, unlicenced and uninsured motorcycle whilst being cheered on by a group of around ten young children, aged between approximately 10 and 14 years old. Now the scumbag has been sent down, and the bike scrapped - a great result all around.

Now for the weekly local safety and security reports from the Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly from Barnehurst ward:- "Sadly we have had two burglaries on the ward since our last update. One being in Watling Street and the other in Halcot Avenue We believe that the offences are linked, the properties back onto one another and the method of entry is identical Both occurred on the 1st December between 2PM and 6PM Entry gained by suspect smashing a window in the rear UPVC door and reaching through, opening the door with the keys that had been left internally in the locks. Properties have been searched and electrical and jewellery items removed Please make sure any UPVC doors are securely locked and the keys removed when nobody is at home Unbelievably over the weekend from the 1st December, mindless vandals have entered Mayplace Primary School grounds and have damaged benches, play equipment and toys, if you have any information of theses or any other crimes please contact police or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Join a member of your local team on the Tuesday 12th December,11am at Barnehurst Golf Course to discuss any local issues that you may have or just pop along for a chat We are having a few issues with our Facebook account and the page has not been updated in a while, we are hopeful that the issues will be resolved shortly, we will keep you updated, in the meantime please follow us on twitter @MPSBarnehurst for updates as to what your local team are up to and crime prevention advice". Belvedere ward:- "A busy week for the team this week. We held our quarterly ward panel meeting on Thursday 30th November where it was decided that through December and into the New Year, we will be our focussing on Burglary and Robbery offences and also Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) on the ward. Our next ward panel meeting will take place in February 2018 (the date of which is as yet not confirmed). A member of public recently reported a machete had been found in the upper part of Lesness Abbey woods near to Nelson Road/ Walden Close, which she discovered whilst walking her dogs. PC Green and PCSO Worrall attended the area and located the item which has now been collected and has been requested to be destroyed. After a great deal of work by PC Holmes due to reported crimes taking place, the team were joined by officers from neighbouring wards (Thamesmead SNT, Colyers SNT, North End SNT) and a warrant was executed on the Belvedere Park estate in Lower Belvedere. From this, 3 males were arrested for various offences and there is a great deal of investigatory work to follow. Also, we have also recently been contacted by Councillor Francis who informed us that residents of Ruskin Road have raised concerns around various issues. We have arranged a ‘street briefing’ which will be taking place on Saturday 9th December at 12pm. This will be an opportunity for residents to speak to the team and discuss any issues that they would like to bring to our attention. Finally, our next crime prevention surgery has been arranged for Monday 11th December 2017 at the Belvedere Library on Woolwich Road. The team will be in attendance from 10.30am". Brampton ward:- "Quite an uneventful start to the month. Since Dec 1st we have had 2 shop liftings from the Co-op in Pickford Lane. One residential burglary in Percy Road, where the garage was broken into but nothing was taken. A shoplifting from Wells pharmacy in Brampton Road where cosmetic gift sets were taken. And finally criminal damage to a motor vehicle in Normanhurst Avenue where victim had her tyres slashed". Christchurch ward:-  From a Neighbourhood Watch Member in Gravel Hill - "My neighbour's husband has just called in. His wife was driving her car and turned right into Gravel Hill (from Gravel Hill Close). She saw two youths smashing up the bus stop on the Broadway bound side of the road and she called out to them to stop. They used foul and abusive language and started to run towards her car but they couldn't get across the road and she was lucky to be able to drive away as she was frightened she was going to be attacked. That is all the information we have. It all happened so quickly that it is unlikely that she would have any description of them but it is worth mentioning to the Watch to be on the lookout for this happening elsewhere. It is terrible that people can vandalise things in that way and behave threateningly towards others". Colyers ward:- "Another week has passed and I am delighted to say that for the second week running, Colyers Ward has a zero in the motor vehicle column, in relation to thefts of any type. This is great news. In regards to burglary, there has been just the one in Venners Close overnight from the 2nd to the 3rd December. The porch doors had been left unlocked and so entry was gained into the porch. An attempt was made on the inner door, but access not gained and some damage caused. Cigarettes were taken from a jacket pocket in the porch. We are also aware of a burglary on Northend Ward in Eversley Avenue. I mention it because it is literally one house off our border, so please be aware. It is very important that all doors are locked. Leaving porch doors open is very common and it gives a burglar a chance. Two locked doors is far more of a deterrent than one. Remember, Santa is the only person you want gaining access to your home this Christmas". Erith ward:- "Our issues from the last few months of Theft from motor vehicles has started to decline, so well done to everyone who has followed our crime prevention advice. Burglary has risen a little this week. This is going to be due to xmas being around the corner, Once again please make sure your doors are locked and widows are closed. Do not leave piles of presents under the tree which could be seen from the street outside". Lesnes Abbey ward:- "Good news - PC Moore has joined the team. Burglaries - a burglary occurred on Thursday 30/11/17 in Knowle Avenue. Home crime prevention - When the nights get longer keep the burglars guessing. Make your home look occupied by using timer lights. Motor vehicle crime - Overnight between Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th in Holcote Close, a motor vehicle was broken into and items taken. Incident reported on 2nd December. Check your car security - Have you locked your doors and windows? Did you know that your vehicle is like a shop window ? If you can see ANY property left on view then so can a thief. Take it with you. Don't give thieves a happy Christmas! Out Shopping - Beware of pickpockets. Stay alert and keep your bags close to you. At home - Note frame numbers of bicycles/colour/make. Note serial numbers/make and model of electrical goods. Register your property for FREE and improve your chances of getting it back if it is lost or stolen and help reduce property crime, register at: www.immobilise.com". North End ward:- "A busy time this past week. Masked men entered McColls in Forest Road last Friday lunchtime while the cash machine was being repaired and took away thousands in cash boxes. Fortunately nobody was hurt during the incident. We had a burglary in Eversley Avenue overnight Saturday, whereby the UPVC door was forced and both cars stolen after the keys were taken from inside the property. 1 car has been recovered. Please ensure if you have a UPVC door to lift the handle AND turn the key and the handle along is not enough to lock the door. 1 theft of motor vehicle in Maynard Close and 2 x Criminal damage to vehicles 1 in Howbury Lane and 1 in Ely Close. A public order type incident occurred on Monday evening at Britannia Close involving several males, reassurance patrols are ongoing and team contact details have been delivered. We assisted our Belvedere colleagues in executing a warrant this past week with 3 arrests made for various offences. The ward officer pulse bus has resulted in several cannabis warnings issued along with a few stop and searches and moving on a group with 2 off road bikes down by Erith Yacht Club. This weekend we are hoping to attend the St Augustines Church Christmas fete from 11am Saturday and from 5pm on Sunday is the annual Carol Service at the same location where we will be hoping our singing skills will be noted! We also welcome back PC James Telfer to our Northend Team giving us 2 PC DWO’s and one PCSO DWO. Please say hi if you see any of us around. The next police surgery is at on Friday 15th December at 1800hrs at the Pier Road Safer Neighbourhoods team base. Please feel free to attend". Northumberland Heath ward:- "We have had a shed burglary in Becton Place on Thursday November 30th. The suspect stole some children's winter coats, a Christmas tree and sentimental tree decorations which cannot be replaced. On Tuesday November 5th between 5pm and 8pm a house in Bexley Road was burgled. Entry was gained was attempting to force a rear window by smashing it and gaining entry using the key. £600 in cash was stolen from the address. Please take extra care during the run up to Christmas. Make your property look occupied when you are out by leaving lights on or investing in some timer switches which you can plug the TV, Radio or lamps in to. Crime prevention advice can be found on the Met Police website. https://www.met.police.uk/crime-prevention/residential-burglary/ Sadly, in the last week we have had a report of an elderly resident in Penhurst Road being the victim of a scam. A male knocked at their door stating they were doing repairs to a neighbour’s house and that the guttering on the victim’s property could be cleaned for a one off special rate. The Male took £150 from the victim before leaving and stating that he would return in twenty minutes and did not return. We have received two further reports of this taking in Mill Road and Bedonwell Road, luckily the residents did not part with any cash and the male went away empty handed. The team are continuing to focus on anti-social behaviour in and around Dickens Close and are conducting regular patrols and stopping youths loitering in the area. The next drop in Police surgery will be held at the Library in Mill Road Erith on Friday December 15th between 4pm – 5pm". Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglary - Binsey Walk Thursday 28th November 2017 between 10pm - 8am the vacant property in a block due for demolition, pipes, wire and a boiler stolen; Baylis Avenue, Saturday 2nd December 2017 was at Thamesmead Town Football Club between 1230 - 1252pm 1 mobile phone and a watch was stolen from an unlocked changing room. Theft Of Motor Vehicle Southmere Drive on Monday 4/12/17 between 5-7pm by suspect unknown removing victims motor cycle without keys. Thamesmead East and Lesnes Abbey assisted colleagues from Belvedere in the execution of a warrant on Mon 4/12/17 after reports of theft of post on the Belvedere Park Estate. The warrant was successful with 3 males arrested and a large amount of property seized for investigation; The team attended Parkway Primary School on 6/12/17 to give a talk to year 5 about Criminal responsibility, a question and answer from pupils was taken afterwards.  The Thamesmead East Police Surgery will be held on Tuesday 12th December 2017 between 2.30-3.15pm at Thamesmead Library (temporary premises) Binsey Walk SE2 9TR. Shop safe – keep your purse or wallet secure. Always lock your car when unattended, even for a few moments. Never leave items in view in your car or home. Tell your neighbours if you are going away and ask them to keep an eye on your house. Always report anything suspicious".

The end video this week is an excerpt from the popular Canadian documentary series "How It's Made" - which can be seen on several channels in the UK, including Quest. The video shows how the low volume, hand built Caterham Seven sports cars are assembled in the Caterham Cars factory in Kennet Road, Crayford (not Dartford, as the narrator says, but cut him some slack - he's Canadian and not likely to know the subtleties of local geography). Give it a watch, and leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Caught in the act.

Events surrounding Electricity House and the African Church which operates out of the building have taken a bit of a turn this week; despite not having obtained any form of planning permission from Bexley Council, the church have now stepped up building work on the former snooker hall part of the building, and have been knocking out the first floor windows - you can see the new windows in the upper of the two photos of the building above - click on either to see a larger version. One local observer noted that "Over the last few days you may have noticed exterior walls being painted white?  Yesterday, the cowboys began knocking out the upper floor windows, Brick chippings and shards of glass were flying all over the pedestrian walkway. No thought for any Health and Safety precautions or for people visiting the shops in the parade underneath! I know that the Council received some complaints from shop owners and the public yesterday, but there seemed to be very little interest or concern in getting the work stopped on a Friday afternoon. so duly they are back there again today carrying on with a few ladders cordoning off the dangerous areas. Oh, and a man stood below with a broom ready to sweep up the debris. It is madness!  Surely, there must be some rules and regs about this sort of thing? Clearly our Council don`t care, if any one gets hurt, they just let them do what they want, and keep turning a blind eye!" Bexley Council have issued a number of enforcement notices against the church, but they seem reluctant to take any direct action. One of my contacts tells me that "The Council took a step back in their intended Enforcement action because Pastor Ogedengbe had appointed a solicitor to fight her battle which has left them running scared after she also branded Bexley Council`s legal team as being "Racist". You know, the tiresome defence attitude, rather than just accepting that there are certain rules and regulations when it comes to the planning requirements of this land. She considers herself above the authorities and only answerable to her God". As detailed in previous editions, it is known that the original Redeemed Christian Church of God that occupied the former tyre warehouse portion of Electricity House was wound up, and a new organisation called the King's Gen Foundation has now taken over. It is my understanding that the new church group is being operated by exactly the same people as before, and that the name change is purely an administrative move to try and avoid enforcement actions by Bexley Council. There are also some serious concerns about the use the building is being put to; Pastor Ogedengbe has been widely promoting a "Parents R US Conference" on Saturday the 11th November from 9am-5pm. She also says in her videos that the place will be open "all night long" inviting anyone who cannot afford a hotel, and wants to stay the night for a sleepover at the venue on the night before the conference. This conflicts with the fire regulations and the building usage permissions. Bexley Council are aware of this planned overnight event; time will tell as to what they will actually do about it. I have also been informed that certain other official organisations are now involved in the Electricity House / former snooker club issue. Due to some sensitivities with their investigations, I had better leave it at that for the current time; I am sure that I will be able to write in more detail in the not too distant future. It seems to me that the operators of the church - whatever name it is currently using, are fully aware that they are playing fast and loose with the planning regulations, but think they can bulldoze through the rules with a combination of bravado and false accusations of racism. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

It is pleasant when I get to publish some really good new, as it does not seem to happen nearly often enough.  As many of you will already know, news broke on Wednesday morning that Bexleyheath Police Station has been saved - it is now no longer under threat of closure. Both our local MP's strongly opposed the closure proposal, and interviewed in The News Shopper, Teresa Pearce MP said:- "I am delighted that Bexleyheath Police Station has been saved. Closing the station and moving the front counter to Sidcup would have directly impacted upon my constituents, and I opposed the proposals in the strongest terms to the London Mayor Sadiq Khan. As with any change on this scale, our community has voiced genuine and passionate concerns. Through the consultation process, the police have listened to those concerns and where possible and operationally viable, revised their plans accordingly." David Evennett MP said:-"This is really good news and I am glad the London Mayor listened and dropped his proposal. It is a real victory for local people and common sense". One person who in my opinion has done more to save Bexleyheath Police Station than anyone else is Dana Wiffen, the Chairman of Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association, who has campaigned tirelessly to retain the site. The next task he will be undertaking will be to try and increase the number of Police officers serving in the Borough. It is now well known that the local crime rate is up, and the best way to combat this is to have more trained officers available to investigate and prevent crime. I am unsure of how this will pan out; I know that London Mayor Sadiq Khan needs to save money, but cutting back on law and order is very unlikely to be a vote winner.

Do you recognise the person in the photo montage above? Click on it for a larger view; the illegal moped rider was filmed on the 28th October riding the wrong way down Holly Hill Road in Upper Belvedere - a one way street - in addition to riding the wrong way, he was minus helmet, and the moped appeared to have no registration plate, and was thus very likely stolen. Car dash cam footage was sent to me by a regular reader who wishes to remain anonymous. It is great to catch a criminal in the act, and to get clear images of the offender in action. Copies of the still images along with the video have been sent to the Police. A message from Dana Wiffen of Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association regarding recent Police action against local illegal bikers:- "Two success stories. Cory’s have been working with Transport Police, Safer Neighbourhood Groups and landowners to try stop the anti-social biker gatherings taking place outside their facility in Norman Road. On Sunday 22nd October a coordinated police operation saw the arrest of 17 people involved and the seizure of 16 motorbikes and 2 quad bikes. It is hoped that this will send a message to other such anti-social bikers that this behaviour will not be tolerated. Cory’s have also received a commendation from the Metropolitan Police for their support of police teams while they were carrying out a search for evidence in securing a conviction and for providing protection to police teams while they were carrying out their tasks in a potentially hostile environment. This award which is normally reserved for police courage and is only issued a handful of times each year is to be presented to Cory staff in the near future".  This is excellent news; pressure needs to be kept up on the illegal bike gangs. At present this seems to me to be the number one local policing priority - to stamp out the threat from the illegal moped / bike gangs. I have noticed over the last week that the number of illegal riders on the streets seems to have dropped considerably. Whether this is a direct result of the Police action is currently unknown; it may be that the gangs are "laying low" for a while - hoping to go back to their criminal and anti social behaviour once the heat dies down. The Metropolitan Police released a report last week that stated that the latest statistics showed a 25 per cent reduction in the number of powered two wheel bikes stolen in the last six months to the end of September. There was also a 24 per cent fall in the number of reported moped related crimes over the same period, and rising arrest rates and convictions of prolific offenders. The Met revealed it was using tactics successfully deployed by the Trident gangs team to respond to scooter offences, targeting moped thugs for other offences if possible. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said in a recent interview:-“We know that our criminal cohort committing crime on scooters also carry knives, have links to networks who handle stolen property and who deal drugs. So if you are a persistent phone thief - using a scooter to commit your crimes - and we can prove your involvement in other offences, such as drug dealing, you will be arrested. This is where the public can help us. I want to mobilise communities, to channel their outrage as part of a joint effort to make our streets safer. Look after your belongings, follow our security advice and tell us about the people who are responsible for crime in your communities and help us tackle them.”

Transport enthusiasts have been getting excited, as one of the new British Rail Class 345 trains has been sighted in the sidings at Abbey Wood Station. I understand that it is to be based at Abbey Wood Station for a series of tests of the new rail lines, signalling and safety systems.  I know that people have been photographing the new arrival, which will be around for some time, or so I am told.

Many local radio stations have been running adverts recently that promote interest in the possible changes to the electoral boundaries. There has been much controversy around the possible move - the main idea behind the proposed changes is to make the number of electors in each constituency roughly equal, which is currently not the case. Local MP for Erith and Thamesmead Teresa Pearce said in an interview with The News Shopper that:- "It seems unlikely that these proposals will go through with the Conservatives reliant on the DUP for a parliamentary majority, and the DUP have been clear that they do not support the proposals for Northern Ireland. Personally I was disappointed to see that Thamesmead is proposed to be split across two constituencies – Thamesmead is one community which faces so many challenges and I believe would be better served with one MP for the whole town. Nevertheless it is important that as many people as possible participate in the ongoing consultation around the proposals to ensure that our communities are appropriately represented in Parliament.” David Evennett, the MP for Bexleyheath and Crayford said that:-"I am very disappointed at the revised proposals of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for Bexley, as they do not heed community interests or the views expressed by local residents. To not recognise the borough’s major town of Bexleyheath in the name of a constituency cannot be right. I very much hope the Boundary Commission will reconsider their proposals in the final stage of the review.”

You may recall that two weeks ago I featured a promotion on an event to be held by The Association of Bexley Charities '78. The event has now taken place, and local charity activist John Salt sent me the two photos taken at the event, which you can see above - click on either for a larger version. The three people in the lower of the two photographs are from left to right, John Wilkinson, Deputy Mayor, Peter Hickson, Honorary Life President of The Association of Bexley Charities ’78 and Carol Wilkinson, Deputy Mayoress. John Salt writes:- “The Association of Bexley Charities ’78 held its Autumn Fair in the Geddes Place United Reformed Church hall, Bexleyheath, on the 28th October. There were 12 stalls selling a wide range of goods, including Christmas cards, calendars, cakes, jams, jigsaw puzzles, model railway items, jewellery, knitted goods, children’s toys, handbags, shoes and books.  The event was very well attended by more than 100 people. The Deputy Mayor of Bexley, John Wilkinson and the Deputy Mayoress, his wife Carol, also supported the event and spent more than an hour meeting the stall holders. The event was a great success, raising more than £800.”

Now for the weekly safety and security reports from the various wards that make up Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly from Barnehurst ward:- "On Thursday 26th October 2017 at 10.51pm a vehicle was found ablaze by the garages at the rear of Grove Road. London Fire Brigade attended and believe this was a deliberate fire caused by suspects unknown. Local residents informed London Fire Brigade that fireworks were being set off prior to their arrival. On Friday 27th October 2017 between 04.00pm and 04.05pm a mountain bike was stolen from a garage in Manor Way. The garage had been left unattended for five minutes with the garage door closed down but not locked. The bike in question is a giant mountain bike, model AT X2, orange in colour with gold hand grips, and was in perfect condition. If found please call 101 or your local policing team on 0208 721 2577. On Friday 27th October 2017 in Taunton Close a window was smashed. This Incident relates to an ongoing issue where youths are targeting property’s in Taunton Close. The timings of these Incidents vary from 06.00pm to midnight. Police have carried out a number of patrols at various times with negative results. Barnehurst Golf Club have since erected a wired security fence in the hope this will deter the youths in future and protect the property’s in Taunton Close. Additional ball collections are also being carried out at the driving range with the last collection being at 10.00pm. Halloween proved very busy with a large number of calls coming in from all over the Borough. Barnehurst Officers are aware of the criminal damage made to a number of vehicles in Martens Avenue and Old Road. We are in the process of gathering all of the Information together regarding these incidents. Please join us at Barnehurst Golf Club on Thursday 16th November 2017 at 1.00pm if you wish to discuss any of the issues mentioned or have any other matters you would like to raise with us. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @MPSBarnehurst". Belvedere ward:- "At this time of the year with Halloween and Guy Fawkes there is often a rise in anti-social behaviour. As such, the team have been working later shifts over the last week and have been participating in the Met-wide ‘Autumn Nights’ initiative to tackle such issues. The team were working on Halloween and very few issues were reported to police on 31/10/2017 around the ward. However, PC Green did arrest a male while working with colleagues from Crayford ward. The male was seen by officers riding a stolen motorcycle which had been taken the night before from Sidcup. The bike was seized by police and taken for forensics to be done, meanwhile PC Green stopped a person matching the description of the rider. After confirming this was the same person, he was arrested for theft of motor-vehicle, driving while disqualified and handling stolen goods. PC Holmes was working with colleagues across the borough and searched a male for articles to commit criminal damage as well as responding to numerous calls of ASB (Anti Social Behaviour) around the borough. PCSO Worrall conducted thorough foot patrols across Belvedere with no issues to report. On 30/10/2017 the team were again working late and located a stolen motorcycle. The bike was found on Clive Road but sadly was badly damaged with identifying markers such as the registration plate and chassis numbers being removed. The bike had been stolen a couple of weeks before. If you have any information as to who stole or was using this bike, please contact the team or Crime Stoppers. On 27/10/2017 PC Green was working with other officers as part of Autumn Nights and stopped a couple of youths who were causing ASB. These youths were taken home and parents informed as to their conduct. The Erith team have also been provided with their details should they be linked with any other ASB issues in the area. PC Holmes has been working on crime investigations as well as the above issues and has circulated more images of shoplifters through our identification unit. These images will be shown on social media shortly. Some images may be displayed in the stores as well in a bid to reduce offences. PC Green has also been working further on the issue of vehicle ASB and last week 15 people were arrested driving dangerously with 15 vehicles being seized by police. Surgeries and Events: The team were in the Co-op, Nuxley Road on 01/11/2017 and spoke with numerous residents and gave advice relating to crime prevention. There will be a street briefing on Saturday 4th November at 3pm on Nuxley Road relating to ASB in the area – please come along to attend and speak with the team. Our next surgery will be in ASDA on 16/11/2017 at 5pm". Brampton ward;- "Two Burglaries in Shakespeare Road and Pickford Lane - both rear access , nothing stolen at the first address but jewellery and cash taken at the second 1 x Theft A victim had dropped her purse in Dunwich Road and this was found in the morning empty of cash 1 x Common Assault in Long Lane 6 x Criminal damage to motor vehicles 1 in Rydal Drive a vehicle had tyres slashed and the rest in St Audrey Avenue on Halloween youths that caused havoc on the night kicked off wing mirrors I have also been on local aid on Operation Autumn nights that included patrolling Brampton ward hotspots for Burglary and Anti - social behaviour Four youths were stopped and searched on Halloween in Pickford Lane and before they could commit criminal damage along with Christchurch and Barnehurst officers we seized 55 eggs, 1 bag of tomato sauce and 2 rolls of kitchen paper , I will be visiting the homes of the youths as they lived on our ward and speaking with parents/guardians . I attended the Bexley Pensioners Forum as well during the week and took questions on behalf of the station , a lot of those were regarding the closure of Bexleyheath Police Station to which we have been informed that it will now stay OPEN".  Christ Church ward:- " We have had one burglary this week in Windsor Road between 1800 hours on the 29/10/2017 and 2100 hours 30/10/2017, where the rear French windows were forced and £900 worth of jewellery was stolen. Please see www.met.police.uk for crime prevention advice. We did have a theft of a motor bike from the alleyway between Primark and the old Pizza Hut (28/10/17 at 1415 hours). Sadly there has been two incidents of elderly ladies being targeted for theft of handbag, one occurred on 26/10/17 at 1100 in Card Factory and the other was in Morley’s on the same day at 1140. Our Town Centre Team are aware and are keeping an eye out whilst on patrol. Please do warn neighbours, family and friends of keeping their property safe whilst out and about. Do not let anyone distract you and ensure you can see your bag at all times. If going to the bank do not carry large sums of cash about your person or in your bag. We have visited Avante Care Home to meet other residents from Cedar Ward, and give crime prevention advice. Due to the nature of this time of year we have been tasked with Anti – Social Behaviour patrols and all the car parks and open spaces have been patrolled. We have been engaging with the youths we have come across and discussed Halloween with them to try and prevent vulnerable people being targeted. The team has been very busy over Halloween and a dispersal order was in place on 31/10/2017 to cover Halloween. Five youths were dispersed from the area and not allowed to return until 1200 hours 01/11/2017. Russell Close – Street Briefing this is in connection to anti social behaviour in the alleyway linking to Arnsberg Way. The whole close was leafleted and  four residents came and discussed their issues with us. Patrols will be carried out to deter the youths from congregating there who are causing ASB".  Crayford ward:- "It has been a busy week around Crayford Ward as for most of us are busy patrolling - on foot, in a vehicle and using the motorcycle and speaking with many people. There was a burglary at the top end of Station Road in Crayford on Saturday 28th November. It happened between 14.00-14.45 while the owners were out. Entry was made by removing a large pane of glass from a patio window and the exit point was the front door. Among items stolen was a large, very heavy safe containing a large amount of Asian gold as well as other items and documents. It would have taken at least four strong people to remove the safe and a van would have been used. it Is a very busy road, if anyone saw anything, please get in touch. On Sunday 29th October it was reported that a motorcycle had been tampered with, possibly with a view to being stolen, this happened in Sainsbury car park in Crayford between 14.00-14.20. A bag was stolen from a vehicle parked in Crayford Industrial Estate on Friday 27 October between 14.00-14.05. On a more positive note a motorcycle stolen in Sidcup overnight on Monday was recovered in an alleyway near Station Road on Tuesday afternoon and a Male who ran off it was arrested and taken to Plumstead Police station. Another motorcycle stolen from an address in the Kent police area was also recovered at the top of Station Road and returned to its owner".  Erith ward:- "We have carried out a lot of late night Halloween patrols around Erith. There was a bike-marking event on the 27/10/17 in which 5 bikes where marked. The next bike-marking is Wednesday 8/11/17 Erith Base at 2pm. 2 x Street briefing just off West Street and at Erith Pier Road base. We have changed a lot of our patrols to Late shift patrols to cover Erith later at night. PC Brown and PC Cousens set up a dispersal zone all around Erith for almost a week and have been policing this by issuing dispersal notices out to help tackle ASB. Twitter @MPSErith for latest updates on Events and bike marking". Lesnes Heath ward:- "Burglaries - On Thursday 26/10/17 between the hours of 05 : 30 pm and 07 : 35 pm a residential burglary occurred in King Harold's Way; Between the hours of 04 : 30 pm on Friday 27/10/17 and 10 :30 am on Monday 30/10/17, another residential burglary occurred in King Harold's Way. Home crime prevention - Check you have closed and locked all your doors and windows before leaving your property. If you have UPVC doors and windows double lock them with keys to secure them properly. Leave some lights on if it will be dark before you get home. Install low wattage ‘ dusk to dawn ‘ outside lighting. If you have a burglar alarm remember to activate it. Residents with shared drives consider installing motion activated lights, CCTV covering the driveway and maybe install gates to help prevent access to the rear /side of properties. Protect your important property, register at: https://www.immobilise.com Motor vehicle crimes - Between the hours of 04:00 pm Saturday 21/10/17 and 08:45 am Sunday 22/10/17 theft from motor vehicle Coralline Walk. However the incident was not reported until Thursday 26/10/17; Between the hours of 07 : 00pm on Monday 30/10/17 and 08:00 am on Tuesday 31/10/17 a moped was stolen from a property in Woolwich Road. Check your home security - Have you locked your doors and windows? Did you know that your vehicle is like a shop window? If you can see ANY property left on view then so can a thief. Take it with you". North End ward:- "One vehicle broken into this week in Crescent Road, baby pushchair and monitor stolen from the boot. We attended Slade Green Big Local Community Safety day last Saturday and had a Crime Prevention table giving out various crime prevention leaflets to many residents. On Halloween late patrols were carried out in the ward. There were less ASB related calls than usual but we still ended the evening with 2 cannabis seizures, 9 Stop and searches and 3 stop and accounts". Northumberland Heath ward:- "On Thursday October 26th we held our quarterly Ward Panel Meeting and our priorities for the next three months will be focusing on anti-social behaviour in general. A CBO (Community Breach Order) was issued to a youth who has persistently caused anti-social behaviour in and around Northumberland Heath. This CBO has the power to arrest this individual if he continues to act in an anti-social manner. One burglary on Thursday October 26th in Penhurst Road which took place between 2.30pm – 7.45pm. Entry appears to have been gained via the next door neighbour’s garden and access to the property was through the kitchen window. where cash and jewellery were stolen. There has been criminal damage to a property in Avenue Road this week where a traffic cone was thrown at a window causing it to smash. Thankfully no one was injured. Also a window in Brook street was smashed on Monday October 30th and a theft of a mobile phone at the Pantiles on Tuesday 31st October. An unattended trailer was stolen from a rear driveway in Northumberland Heath on Wednesday of last week between 12.30 – 1pm. Halloween was a busy night for the team in the earlier part of the evening, where a large group of youths caused damage to a property in Dickens Close, a number of eggs were thrown at the doors and windows. The group had made off when police arrived however three youths were stopped and searched in Byron Park. On the whole there were less calls to the team regarding Halloween anti-social behaviour than in previous years. The next drop in Police Surgeries will be held in the Library in Mill Road on Thursday November 2nd and Thursday November 9th both at Noon". Thamesmead East ward:- "Bayliss Avenue - Criminal Damage to Motor vehicle - a smashed windscreen; 27/10/17– 21:30hrs Centurion Way - Theft from Motor vehicle over the weekend employee noticed the diesel cap being off and a wet patch next to the offside of the vehicle. Diesel stolen; 28/10/17 1900hrs Holstein Way – Theft from Motor vehicle Victim left his vehicle parked locked following morning at around 0850 hours and he noticed that his number plates were missing; 28/10/17 21:00hrs Redbourne Drive – Criminal Damage to internal mail box has been damaged flap ripped off bent left on the floor; 31/10/17 07:10hrs Binsey Walk Ix2 Burglary derelict properties. Crime Prevention Motor vehicle crime • Don't leave items on show it is an invitation • Keys and ignition fobs should kept safe and out of sight and reach – the most common ways to steal a car or van is to take the keys or ignition fob, either when left in the vehicle or from your home through burglary. Try not to keep your keys in an obvious place such as the hallway or kitchen. • Fit an alarm or immobiliser if your vehicle does not have one.  Consider using a gear stick lock".

The end video this week is a short interview with Jane Murphy of Bexley Brewery. Please feel free to leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.