Arthur Street.

The upper of the two photos shown above was taken by me on the second of July, and the lower photo was taken by me on Tuesday the 20th of August last week. The former Belvedere Police station has now been completely demolished to make way for a block of apartments. Now that the bulk of the building is down, the actual very large size of the plot of land can be ascertained, especially if you are a passenger on the upper deck of a 99 bus passing the location, which gives you a very good platform to look over the demolition site. Nuxley Road (NOT Nuxley Village - there is no such place, as I have outlined in the past) is undergoing some major changes to its character; not only has the Police station gone, but historical buildings further South in the road have been demolished - including the former Walk - Around shop, which is now a residential block with shop spaces beneath. Flynn's Bakery, next to the Royal Standard pub, which closed at Christmas, with the owners retiring; the bakery has been empty and unused since. On top of this, the popular newsagent Nikins News / Premier store at the junction of Nuxley Road and Albert Road has also been closed for some months. I cannot recall a time when so many shop units were empty in the area.

In a surprise move, the plan submitted by Orbit South Housing Association to demolish the old Arthur Street Estate in Erith, opposite the new Erith Park Estate has been rejected by Bexley Council's planning department. The somewhat unexpected decision was published by Bexley Council on Friday. The details of the rejection are outlined in a letter to Orbit, via their architects CBRE reads thus:- "Development At Arthur Street, Arthur Street, Erith, Kent The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (as amended), Schedule 2, Part 11, Class B. I refer to the application which you have made on behalf of your client, Orbit South Housing Association, for prior notification of the demolition for all existing buildings on site to be demolished comprising 3 x 13 storey buildings and 3 x low rise housing blocks alongside associated structures, which was received on 29th July 2019. Having considered the submission, I can now advise you that this Council’s prior approval as to the method of demolition and any proposed restoration of the site is required, and that such prior approval is REFUSED, for the following reasons: London Borough of Bexley. 1. Insufficient information has been provided as to the proposed restoration of the site, as required by paragraph B.2(b)(i)(aa) of Schedule 2, Part 11, Class B of The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (as amended). 2. The Local Planning Authority consider that the project is an “Urban Development Project”, which is urban development and involves the demolition of approximately 250 homes (including affordable homes) on a site over 1 hectare in size, and does not secure their re-provision (unlike the proposal which is the subject of planning application reference 18/03154/FULM), would have significant effects that are of a markedly different nature to the existing use of the site. As such the project is considered to be a Schedule 2 Environmental Impact Assessment development, and this being the case, permitted development rights do not apply as per Article 3(10) of The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (as amended).
Yours faithfully
Mr R Lancaster
Head of Development Management." I suspect that this will only be a temporary impediment to the regeneration of the old and crumbling Arthur Street Estate. More affordable housing of good quality is required; indeed a vast majority of the existing Arthur Street Estate residents voted for the regeneration to go ahead when they were consulted at the start of the project. 

Bellegrove Road in Welling is possibly going to be the location for a new Micro Pub. An application has been submitted to Bexley Council for a new opening in a former shop unit. The News Shopper have reported that a potential new Micro Pub may be joining the existing ones in the borough, which include, but are not limited to the the Penny Farthing in Crayford, The Kentish Belle in Bexleyheath, The Broken Drum in Blackfen, the Bird and Barrel in Barnehurst, and The Door Hinge in Welling – which was the first of its kind in Greater London. It is the case that the Hangar (courtesy of their Untappd account) sells Birra Moretti, Meantime Lager and very little cask beer by comparison to gassy mainstream, commercial keg lagers. This seems to suggest that the operators of the Hangar in the Oval, Sidcup, may have misled the Bexley Council licensing team when applying by saying they would be selling cask ales, and calls into question if their new Micro Pub application for Bellegrove Road will be much the same, and will try to get money from a congested market being only a few hundred metres from Wetherspoon's New Cross Turnpike and many other mostly-lager pubs in the town. A source suggests at least one Councillor has challenged whether the Hangar should have door staff or have to go to the licensing committee due to their sales of lager in large amounts as lager traditionally attracts yobs and undesirables. It is understood that the Council may now insist that the Hanger has door staff, as is now pretty much the norm for bars and pubs that principally sell gassy and tasteless lager, and thus attract yobs and other violent undesirables. As far as I have been able to determine, there has yet to be a record of Police attending any genuine Micro Pub in the UK. Micro Pubs are a return to traditional pub values - no music, no TV, a ban on the use of mobile phones (hooray!) and hand pulled or gravity driven cask conditioned real ales and cider. The whole Micro Pub philosophy is designed to encourage conversation between people who might otherwise be strangers. I heartily support the whole Micro Pub movement, but feel that anyone that tries to hijack it in order to open a mass market lager emporium needs to be exposed for what they really are.

The graphic above is a proposal for the Erith Think Tank stand at the forthcoming Erith Pier Festival on the 21st September. Project advisors Paul and Kate say of the proposal:- "The Think Thank’s intention for the Pier Festival is to create an interactive space aimed at promoting citizen engagement with the development of their town. We want to use it as a platform to celebrate Erith, its history and the opportunities for its future. The plot will consist of a gazebo with a colourful, interactive map (still in development), with floor vinyl footprints leading to the space. The community can then label their favourite places; memories from the past or things they’d like in their community in the future. It is also intended to have a photographic element to relate to social media – questioning ‘my Erith is?’ photographs of community members with signs of frames commenting on their town and what it means to them can then be shared. We intend for this to be a playful celebration of the town for all ages and to promote interaction between various demographics and age groups. This will then tie in with the Think Tanks goal of gaining a full understanding of the aspects of the town that people most cherish, that are intrinsic to the towns identity. We are looking to promote awareness of Think Tank in order for it to represent the diverse community of Erith. We're pleased to let you know that our submission to take part in the Erith Pier Festival has been successful! Thank you to Bexley Council for having us on board, and thanks again to Paul and Kate for leading on this project. Can you please put the following dates in your diaries: September 5th - all group meeting, @ the Exchange, 7.30pm. Topics of conversation to be announced shortly.  September 21st - Erith Pier Festival. October 10th - Councillors Louie French and Joe Ferreira will be presenting to the group about Bexley Council’s regeneration plans for Erith. This will be followed by a Q and A session. What do you think? Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Questions are being asked about Cory Environmental and their plans to construct a second waste burner and a large data centre in Lower Belvedere. The News Shopper has reported that a very rare species of insect called the shrill carder bee, which is named after the high-pitched buzz they emit. The insect, which has a distinctive grey-green body and a black band across its body (or thorax for the smart ones), has lost much of its habitat to human development and can now be found at just seven sites across the country, including the Thames Gateway, in which Crossness is located. Other rare insects found in the area include the spined mason bee, a solitary bee that nests in empty snail shells, and a pair of conopid flies, which parasitise bumblebees. How the construction of the new waste burner and data centre will affect these creatures is not yet known. One tends not to think of the local area as being one that fosters much in the way of agriculture; a fairly unglamorous South East London / North Kent suburb is not exactly the kind of place one would expect to find much in the way of food production. In many respects this may be the case, but in one particular area it is most definitely not true. Erith, Slade Green and Dartford are renown for the quality of honey that is produced in the area; indeed Dartford Bee Keeping Club have just won an award for producing some of the best quality honey in the country. I guess that this is due to areas such as the Slade Green Marshes, with the large open areas covered with heather, wild flowers and bulrushes. For what is thought of as a predominantly urban area, we actually have quite a large amount of uncultivated, wild wetlands and other places which bees find attractive, one of which is the relatively newly created wild flower garden adjacent to The Bookstore Cafe in the old Carnegie library in Walnut Tree Road. Operators The Exchange have planted the garden to encourage bees and other local fauna; indeed, they plan to have their own beehives to make honey to be used in The Bookstore Cafe in due course. You can read more about Dartford Bee Keepers on their website here. I must warn you that the text on much of the site suffers extensively from rogue apostrophes – “bee’s” occurs on multiple occasions, amongst other misuses of possessive apostrophes. The site is obviously a labour of love, created by someone with rather more knowledge of bee keeping than good web design, or indeed English grammar and punctuation.

Morrisons has got another price hike in store for its plastic bags — this time to 30p each. The supermarket is trialling the increased charge in some of its Welsh stores. The supermarket chain has already hiked the cost twice this year,  from 10p to 15p in January and to 20p in April. The 30p tag — which is three times higher than most rivals, is being trialled in a few stores with a nationwide rollout planned. Morrison's management say they are encouraging bag reuse — but customers accuse them of cashing in. By law shops must charge 5p for “single use” plastic bags with the money going to good causes. But most, like Morrisons, sell robust “reusable” ones for higher prices — and there is no obligation for the cash to be given away. The 5p charge for single-use plastic bags that was introduced in Wales in 2011, then Northern Ireland and Scotland before England finally caught up in 2015, has been considered a success. The seven main supermarkets in England gave out 6bn fewer bags between in the first six months of the charge than in the corresponding period a year before. However, last year supermarkets sold 1.18bn of the thicker “bags for life”, prompting fears people were using these as single-use bags instead. The Environmental Investigation Agency has said bags for life should cost £1, rather than the 10p many supermarkets still charge. In Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose they are 10p each, while in Asda they are 15p. Morrisons, which is also increasing the cost of its paper carrier bags from 20p to 25p, says profits from bags are being invested in plastic reduction initiatives. Alongside many other people, I have noticed that not only are Morrison's shopping bags more expensive than those of their rivals, but the quality is inferior. 

I know that a number of my regular readers are radio enthusiasts - some are licenced radio amateurs, and others have an interest in broadcast band radio. Years ago, I used to subscribe to what was then a very popular publication - Shortwave Magazine. Back in the late 90's and early 2000's I found it to be very informative and an entertaining read. You can see an online repository of almost every edition os Shortwave Magazine in PDF format by clicking here. I also have subscribed to RadCom - the RSGB official magazine - since I became a qualified radio amateur back in 1997, though I must admit that RadCom can be quite a challenging read at times; the magazine if very text dense, and many of the articles are of a very technical and specialist nature. In 2005 Shortwave Magazine was rebranded and relaunched as Radio Active, and subsequently as Radio User. I bought it for a few editions, but it was not for me - the widened scope of the magazine, which then covered all sorts of radio, felt "dumbed down" and I simply stopped buying it. Last week my sister unexpectedly gave me a gift - the latest edition of Radio User. I am very happy to say that in my opinion, it is now excellent, and the best all - round magazine on radio currently in print. In the many intervening years, the editor and production staff seem to have improved the publication beyond all recognition. You can take a look at their website by clicking here. Let me know what you think - Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Fields in Trust announced on the  22nd of August that Danson Park had been voted the winner of the London Region in its UK’s Best Park competition. It will go forward to the next stage of the competition, with the winner due to be announced on 12th of September. Hall Place and Gardens was included in the south-east region by the Trust. It was one of seven spaces in the south-east in the top 20 percent of nominations and was awarded “Much Loved" status.

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly a report from Barnehurst ward:- "Firstly the good news, another week with no burglaries. Unfortunately we continue to be hit with vehicle crime, with four theft from motor vehicles reported three of which were theft of catalytic converters. On Thursday the 15th August between 9am and 5pm a catalytic converter was taken from a vehicle in Normandy Way. Overnight of Monday 19th August a vehicle was broken into in Eversley Cross, the front window was smashed and an empty bag was taken. A vehicle had its catalytic converter taken in Hurstwood Avenue but the owner can't be certain when it occurred. On the afternoon of Tuesday 20th August a catalytic converter was taken from a vehicle in Downbank Avenue. A white transit van was believed to be involved in the catalytic converter thefts. During the day of Tuesday 20th August there was a theft of cycle from Barnehurst Railway Station. We are hoping to roll out Smartwater for Westfield Road in the next couple of weeks. Our next community contact session will be at Barnehurst Golf Course on Thursday 29th August at 3pm. We look forward to seeing you". Belvedere ward:- "We have identified and issued another section 59 warning to a male driving an off road motorcycle in Lesnes Abbey Woods. The male was caught on camera and easily identified. The warning lasts for one year. If this male uses this motorbike or any other vehicle in the year period in an anti-social manner then the vehicle he is using can be seized and may be crushed. Same if he rides / drives off road. We had a burglary in St Augustine's Road in the middle of the month. The thieves went in through an open window and stole mobile phones and a laptop. Please shut all windows of a night time or when you go out. There was a recent burglary at 8 Claytonville Terrace, a property which is currently a house of multiple occupancy (HMO). Entry was gained via an internal door and no items taken from within however certain items of property belonging to the occupant were damaged. On Saturday evening last weekend, between 7.30pm and 9pm there was an attempt made to forcibly enter a property in Elstree Gardens whilst the residents were away from the location for a few hours. Damage was caused the front door handle and lock. Entry was not gained however and no items were taken from within. There was a racial incident in Osborne Road recently. The victim knew the suspect and a warning was given for their behaviour. The team came across a vehicle on Poplar Mount that had its front driver's side window smashed and the car rummaged through. This happened on Wednesday 14/08/2019 sometime between 1520 and 1728 hours. The car was parked near to the junction with Lower Road. More anti-social behaviour has been reported in Coleman Road. A certain household is being targeted by youths. Some have been identified and visits made to their parents. Our next Street a Week event is taking place on Friday 23rd August in Calvert Close. Our next ward panel meeting has now been arranged for Wednesday 28th August starting at 7pm which will be held at the usual venue – Belvedere Community Centre, Mitchell Close". Bexleyheath ward:- "There has been no burglaries this week which is good news. However we have had other crimes and some quite concerning, details as follows:- Sunday 11th August 1430-1630 – not previously reported until 14/8/19 theft of catalytic convertor from vehicle parked Church Road j/w Upland Road Wednesday 14th August overnight – Theft of Motor Vehicle from Bromfield Road (BMW) Friday 16th August overnight – Martens Avenue car number plates stolen Saturday 17th August 1030 – 1230 – Wenvoe Avenue, Ladders stolen from fraudsters, who cut down a few branches off of trees in Lavernock Road and then charged the occupant £3000 for the work. Sunday 18th August overnight – Marriott Car Park car damaged by writing being scratched into car Tuesday 20th 1540 Nando's Bexleyheath motorbike stolen. Wednesday 21st – 1540 Albion Road Car Park behind HSBC Handbag stolen from a vehicle when the door had been left open as occupant walked around the car. Sadly we have had a rogue trader theft from an elderly resident on the ward this week. They stated they would do some gardening work cutting of tree branches and when they go to collect the agreed payment (£350) the price has increased to £3000, one of the suspects went with the victim to the Bank and they got away with £1300. No further work completed. Please do keep an eye on your neighbours and ensure that they call someone if they have this type of person knocking at the door. Also encourage people to not do door step trading and to source legitimate companies for any work which needs doing around the home. DERRY YARD CONTRACTORS LTD 0207511240 White van.  The team regularly conduct patrols along drug hot spot areas and ASB areas on the ward and conduct regular stops & searches where necessary. If you do wish to pass on information to Police then please contact Crime Stoppers on 0800 555111 If you are after crime prevention advice, please look at the Met Police website which has lots of information that you may find useful. Remember in an emergency please dial 999 and 101 for non-urgent reporting".

Crayford ward:- "Unfortunately there has been a commercial burglary this week. On Sunday Sunday 18th August between 21.00 - 21.14 a burglary took place at Euro Car Parts at Optima Park. Items were stolen from under a glass counter to the value of two thousand pounds. The suspect used a paving slab to smash the window. £700 worth of cigarettes were stolen from a black Land Rover in Maiden Lane on Monday 19th August at 13.15. Pallets were stolen from the rear of Smyths toy store and put on an open backed truck by two IC1 males on Tuesday 20th August at 6.05 - 6.25. A red bicycle was stolen from the Ellenor Charity shop on Friday 16th August at 13.30. Between Saturday 10th August and Sunday 18th August a male came twice to Hubbard Close to steal items from outside property. Other crime around Crayford has been vehicle related. Between Thursday 8th and Thursday 15th August a catalytic convertor was stolen from a black hybrid Toyota Prius parked in an underground car park at Marshalls Court at Perry Street. Between Tuesday 13th and Saturday 17th August two watches (a Hugo Boss and Fendi branded) were stolen from a vehicle parked in Green Walk, it is unknown how the thief entered the vehicle. Overnight between 23.00 on Friday 16th August and 09.00 on Saturday 17th August two locked vehicles parked on a driveway in Old Road, nothing of consequence was stolen. A vehicle was broken in to outside Bike Alert at Thames Road on Monday 19th August between 8.45 -13.30, the passenger window was smashed and a dash cam was stolen, the suspect is a male on a pushbike. A catalytic convertor was stolen from a grey Honda on Tuesday 20th August between 11.20-13.45 in Iron Mill Lane. Our next community contact session will be held on Wednesday 28th August between 16.00 - 17.00 at Vintage Lindy Lou's at Waterside Gardens in Crayford town centre". Erith ward - no reports received this week. Northumberland Heath - no reports received this week. Slade Green and Northend ward - no reports received this week. Thamesmead East ward:- "Once again the ward has been hit with Vehicle crime this week. Burglaries: None. Motor vehicle Crime: theft from a motor vehicle St Martins Close Wednesday 14/8/19 between 1am – Thursday 15/8/19 8:30am Victims side window on vehicle smashed, wallet and driving licence removed by suspect/s unknown; theft from a motor vehicle Holstein Way Wednesday 14/8/19 between 9:30pm - Thursday 15/8/19 12:50pm victims front and rear registration plates removed by suspect/s unknown; Thursday 15/8/19 at 6:35am Kale Road Victims neighbour saw suspects inside vehicle and scared them off. Apparently suspects arrive at the scene selling perfumes and cameras from the rear of a van before gaining entry to the victims vehicle; Theft from a motor vehicle Thursday 15/8/19 St Brides Close between 2pm – 3:11pm victims side window on vehicle smashed and rummaged through, paperwork and driving licence taken by suspect/s unknown; Criminal damage to a motor vehicle Thursday 15/8/19 Pointer Close 5am – 7am Victim returned to vehicle to find it had been keyed all over; theft of a motor vehicle Thursday 15/8/19 between 11pm – Friday 16/8/19 9am Thamesbank Place Victims motorbike stolen by suspect/s unknown; Theft from a motor vehicle Thursday 15/8/19 between 6pm – 7am Friday 16/8/19 Lytham Close. Unknown Suspect/s has broken into the Victim's vehicle while parked at the venue and ransacked. It is not known if anything has been removed or how access was gained. Victims boot left open and door found ajar; Theft of a motor vehicle Saturday 17/8/19 between 2pm – Sunday 19/8/19 Lensbury Way vehicle stolen by suspect/s unknown". West Heath ward:- "Unfortunately we have had a burglary in Heath Avenue reported to us this week. This incident took place between Sunday August 4th and Monday August 15th when the victim returned home from holiday. Entry was gained via a conservatory window and golf equipment and jewellery were stolen. One criminal damage to a motor vehicle Between Wednesday August 14th at 10am and Friday August 16th at 10.00am where an exhaust to a vehicle was tampered with. Theft of a catalytic converter in Woolwich Road Stolen overnight between Thursday August 15th at 8pm and Friday August 16th at 09.30am. Theft of loose change, a bus pass, camera from a motor vehicle in Powys Close between Monday August 19th at 8pm and 9.30pm. The team have been focusing as usual on proactive patrols, stop and searches and locating wanted offenders. A police drop in surgery will be held on Tuesday August 27th at 4pm in the Bostall Library in King Harolds Way".

The end video this week features the bell ringing team from Christ Church, Erith. Please feel free to leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Incinerator blues.

I took the photos above last week. Click on either for a larger view; they show the former Belvedere Police Station now surrounded by wooden fencing; demolition work has already begun. Inevitably a block of residential apartments is to be built on the site. In essence, Belvedere Police Station was shut and sold off to save the Metropolitan Police £91,000 a year - only a little more than is paid to employ a single Chief Superintendent. I am not sure how this is meant to represent good value for money, but the decision has been made, and the current situation is a "done deal". What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

As regular readers will be aware, I have in the past benchmarked the activities (or indeed lack thereof) of Bexley Council against our close neighbours on the opposite side of the River Thames in the London Borough of Havering. The two boroughs are remarkably similar in many ways; both have a broadly similar population demographic, geography and council tax budget, yet it seems to me that Havering seem to get much more out of their finances than Bexley do, and this is not just me thinking that "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence". As an example, the News Shopper have ran a story last year about the anniversary of the cancellation of the very popular Danson Festival. It is now six years since the council cancelled the annual festival, erroneously stating that this was a temporary cancellation due to problems with the geology of the park, and drainage issues. In an interview with the News Shopper, a spoke person for Bexley Council said:- "Unfortunately Danson mid-park is not currently suitable for large-scale events such as the Danson Festival. The council saves approximately £150,000 from not putting on the festival. Whilst the festival has not been held for a number of years, we have recently increased the number of community and cultural events we have hosted and supported – and we continue to look at new opportunities to bring the community together to share experiences and celebrate". In reality a festival has been held in Danson Park since - but it has been run by a commercial events company called Oakleigh Fairs, who charge for admission. The fair is running this weekend, and entrance fees are £7 per adult, and £4.50 per child. Attractions include arts, crafts, food, drink, gifts, and trade stands. On Sunday, a Companion Dog Show, and a children's entertainer. This all rather contradicts the statement that the park could not be used due to drainage issues. The real reason is that Bexley Council do not want to spend £150,000 on the very popular event. It is my understanding that the free, council run festival in the past actually operated at a modest profit. This all does look rather poor in comparison with Havering, who run a huge event in Harrow Lodge Park, Hornchurch during the month of August. The very popular event, which is having its 41st anniversary this year, which will be held on August Bank Holiday Weekend, Sunday 25th and Monday 26th August 2019. Acts appearing include:- Aswad, Toploader, Alison Limerick, Eban Brown, Mr Soul, Livin' Joy, Oye Santana, Exposé, Tina Turner Tribute, Robbie Williams Tribute. There will also be a large Fairground, Fairkytes Live Stage, a Community Performance Stage, Licensed Bars, Street Food and Children’s Attractions. All this at a cost of £3 per adult, and children under 10 go free. Value - wise, the Havering Show looks like it beats the Danson commercial festival hands down - better acts, more stages, a wider variety of attractions and all for less than half the price of the Danson Show. This is not the only way in which public arts are better catered for in Havering; It also plays host to an arts festival, the award winning Romford Film Festival and a Havering in Bloom competition, to name but a few. Bearing in mind that Havering Borough Council has very similar demands and constraints to its budget as Bexley does, it does beg the question, how is it that Havering can offer popular arts and cultural events to its residents, but Bexley Council are unable, or more likely unwilling to? Effectively the arts offering in Bexley is outsourced to third parties, such as the excellent Exchange - a not for profit group who run the former Carnegie Library in Walnut Tree Road, Erith. Other than that, Bexley's offering to its residents is very poor in comparison to neighbouring boroughs such as Greenwich, who run the excellent - if pricey - Blackheath Festival over the weekend of the 13th and 14th of July, and which will feature acts such as Ali Campbell and Astro, Aswad, Brand New Heavies, Grace Jones, Incognito, Jacob Collier, James Morrison, Jamiroquai, Morcheeba, Rag n Bone Man, SG Lewis, Soul II Soul, Swing Out Sister, and The Roots. What do you think? Please feel free to leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Former host of The Big Break and The Generation Game, stand up comedian and former Shooter's Hill resident Jim Davidson is a very familiar TV presenter for anyone in the UK. He has appeared on numerous programmes and advertising spots. His self-confessed bankruptcy woes before successfully bouncing back are why Jim Davidson has been swept up in the latest wave of BitCoin robot software scams. The advert above, which has been created to fraudulently look like it is on the entertainments section of the Daily Mirror website, has been linked to the News Shopper website, as one of their "click bait" articles. At least £41,000 on average was lost each day in the past year to Bitcoin scams, according to new figures. Consumer interest group Which? is renewing its warnings about the dangers of dodgy so-called cryptocurrency investment firms that use fake celebrity endorsements to lure victims. Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency which exists only online and doesn’t have a central bank or country of origin, so can be traded anonymously. Action Fraud figures given exclusively to Which? show in the year to 19 March 2019, more than 1,200 victims collectively lost £15,248,130 to scams involving Bitcoin. Some people found themselves the victims of a double scam after being tricked by bogus companies promising to get their money back, for a fee – only to realise they had been conned once again. To be clear, Jim Davidson never endorsed any of these products. The people behind them simply believe that the public will think he did. Unfortunately, Bitcoin robots are only of use to their owners, who make money from gullible people who trust obviously false advertising claims like this one. Be warned. If it sounds too good to be true, it normally is.

I was watching a documentary on Amazon Prime the other night; it featured an international convention of Beatles tribute bands – there were South Korean and Ghanaian Beatles covers groups, amongst a huge number of others. I did not realise that there is a shop in Liverpool that specialises in selling costumes, wigs and boots to Beatle tribute bands, it is that much of a lucrative market. The programme was light hearted and warm and followed a few of the bands as they visited the locations featured in so many Beatles songs. This got me thinking; The Beatles have spawned a huge tourist industry in Liverpool, with Beatles themed tours, events and shows all over the city, all eager to being in the cash from the tourists eager to explore the place that the band called home. Their major contemporaries have fared less well. When you mention The Beatles, you immediately form an association with Liverpool. When you mention The Rolling Stones, you don’t immediately think of Dartford, do you? Yet the band had their roots in Dartford, even though their music had more in common with the Mississippi Delta than the Thames Estuary.  Apart from the excellent Mick Jagger performing arts centre, there is almost nothing to commemorate the band in Dartford – which is ironic, as unlike the Beatles, The Rolling Stones are still a (just about) going concern. I wonder if a lot of this is because the band abandoned the town to move to a house in West London as soon as they started to find success? There was a campaign to get a blue plaque installed on platform four of Dartford railway station a few years ago – where Mick and Keith first met after both visiting the West End to buy rare American blues records, where they discovered they shared the same musical passion, and the seeds of the band that would become The Rolling Stones were sown. Unfortunately nothing came of the campaign, which I think epitomises the rather ambivalent attitude some locals have to the group. The local area has been instrumental (if you will excuse the pun) in being home to Kate Bush (Welling), John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin (Sidcup) and David Bowie (Bromley). The musical influence this part of South East London / North Kent has had worldwide has had is huge; we just seem to be exceptionally poor at celebrating its’ success.  Going back to The Rolling Stones, one thing which has been unclear for years is the actual origin of their name. Some think it comes from the Muddy Waters song of the same name, which may indeed be the case. The thing is, what exactly is a rolling stone? Well, according to a source I read, it is nothing to do with a stone rolling down a hill. The “rolling stone that gathers no moss” actually refers to a 16th Century carved stone garden lawn roller; so The Rolling Stones, with all of their “bad boy” image are actually named after something you would find in a garden shed...

Other famous local residents have in the past included Sir Roger Moore - Wansunt Road in Old Bexley Village, Bernie Ecclestone (Bexleyheath), Lennox Lewis (Danson), Nevil Shute (Hatherley Road, Sidcup), Delia Smith (Bexleyheath), Michael Crawford (Bexleyheath), Roald Dahl, (Hurst Road, Bexley), Sheila Hancock (Erith), Boy George (Shooter's Hill), and Sir Edward Heath (Old Bexley), and Steve Davis (Danson) All of these well – known and illustrious people have contributed to both the local and the national well-being in one way or another. One other local person was the late and much lamented comedienne, Linda Smith, who lived in Erith for many years.

Here is the outcome of the recent second meeting of the Erith Think Tank, a new group who seek the betterment of the local area. You can see their website here. The meeting notes read as follow:- "Thank you to those who were able to attend our second meeting, where we discussed together 'Why are we here?' and 'How can we achieve our aims?' so as to find common ground on the purpose of this Group. Each attendee was asked to answer these two questions, and to discuss their answers in small groups. Then each group was asked to write down the key responses on larger paper, which was pinned to the wall, and presented to the other groups. There was LOTS of positivity in the room for Erith and its future, and it's been a pleasure to read the responses. We have documented all the responses, and attached them, should you wish to read through. Based on this information, I have drafted the following manifesto. I hope you'll agree, it covers the big-picture issues discussed, and will provide a 'mission' for the group going forward. I invite you to email me back with thoughts, comments, suggestions for edits etc. 

1. The Erith Think Tank is a place where members of the community can meet, get to know one                another, and discuss issues pertaining to Erith. 
2. We will meet regularly, and endeavour to understand each other. 
3. We are passionate about, and wish to celebrate Erith, our community and our members. 
4. We want to support positive change, and help Erith to realise its potential. 
5. We will use the groups expertise and work together to achieve our aims.
6. We will create a 'register of assets' that celebrates Erith, its community and it's businesses. 
7. We aim to give Erith a co-ordinated and strong voice that engages with and represents all aspects       of the community.
8. We aim to inform, in plain language, about plans for Erith's present and future.
9. We will engage with and nurture a dialogue with decision-makers and the Council.
10. We will gain an understanding of how the Council works, how decisions are made, and by who,          and translate/explain this to the group and wider community, with a view to influence these                  decisions. 
11. We aim to understand, participate in and influence any regeneration.
12. We will propose ideas that improve Erith. 
13. We will identify problems, and propose solutions.
14. We will create group Ambassadors, responsible for different topics (ie youth engagement,                     environment, planning). 
15. We will create a support structure for 'projects'.
16. We acknowledge that trust and respect need to be built between us, the community and the                   Council, to create better dialogue. 
17. We will develop a plan to attract and involve the community (including youth) through effective           networking on a variety of platforms. 
18. We will prove that the group is an asset to the community and the Council. 
19. We aim to challenge and provide alternatives to the current consultation process.
20. We will scrutinise decisions, and agitate when our demands are not met. 

We look forward to hearing from you.

Johnny / Team Think Tank - you can contact the think tank at:- eriththinktank@gmail.com.

The technical press have been following up a story that I featured a while back relating to the Metropolitan Police running a series of tests of facial recognition technology. The Metropolitan Police have been trialing facial-recognition systems for a while now. The technology was rolled out to monitor partygoers attending the Notting Hill Carnival in 2016 and 2017, as well as at the Port of Hull docks and Stratford Transport Hub. Last year, it was estimated the technology had a whopping 98 per cent false positive rate. In January this year, it emerged that the Met had blown more than £200,000 on facial-recognition trials with little or no arrests to show for it. Privacy organisations such as Big Brother Watch, a British nonprofit, have urged the Police to stop using the technology. The Information Commissioner, UK’s data protection watchdog, has launched an investigation into how the police are using face-scanning and biometric systems. Facial-recognition technology is a contentious issue. Experts have been critical of its inaccuracies and biases. Now, an independent report has been published which raises serious doubts about the use of the technology. Researchers from the Human Rights, Big Data and Technology Project, based at the University of Essex Human Rights Centre, identified significant flaws with the way live facial recognition (LFR) technology has been trialled in London by the Metropolitan Police Service. Facial recognition technology trialled by the Metropolitan Police is highly inaccurate and its deployment is likely to be found "unlawful" if challenged in court, according to the reports authors; Professor Fussey and Dr Murray were granted unprecedented access to the final six trials, running from June 2018 to February 2019. From those, the authors found that just eight correct matches were made out of 42 suggested in total. LFR technology allows for the real-time biometric processing of video imagery to identify particular individuals. The software processes the images in order to identify any faces, creates a digital signature of identified faces, and then analyses those digital signatures against a database referred to as the "watch list". An alert is then issued by the police control room and may be available on officers' portable devices. However, accuracy of the watch list data also remains a challenge. Legacy data-handling systems meant data relevant to watch lists was spread across different databases and each watch list entry needed to be assembled by manually extracting and merging records from each of these locations, the University researchers found. The report noted it is possible for LFR software to be integrated into police body-worn cameras. That could be used to create a database of individuals' movements within a city, which in turn could be automated to identify any unusual patterns. Professor Fussey and Dr Murray are calling for all live trials of LFR to be ceased until these concerns are addressed. They noted it is essential that human rights compliance is ensured before deployment, and there be an appropriate level of public scrutiny and debate on a national level. Murray said in a recent press interview that-: "This report raises significant concerns regarding the human rights law compliance of the trials. The legal basis for the trials was unclear and is unlikely to satisfy the 'in accordance with the law' test established by human rights law. Ultimately, the impression is that human rights compliance was not built into the Metropolitan Police's systems from the outset, and was not an integral part of the process". In January this year, it emerged that the Met had spent more than £200,000 on facial-recognition trials with little or no arrests to show for it.

A new campaigning group has just been set up locally; the group's spokes person writes:- "The proposed second Cory incinerator in Lower Belvedere project has prompted the formation of a new group Greenwich-Bexley Environment Alliance. With encouragement from among others: The Crossness Nature Reserve, BNEF, Belvedere Ward Councillor Dave Putson, and Mark Alexander-Smale Head of St Augustine’s School we have formulated a petition and web site. The web site (NOT ANOTHER INCINERATOR IN BEXLEY) can be found at www.naiib.org and the petition initiated by Jenni White. I am sure your readers will be interested to know that The Cory Incinerator project is already opposed by among others: The Mayor of London, GLA members, the MPs for Thamesmead, Bexleyheath and Rainham. However as influential as their opposition may be, it may not be enough, as you may know HM Government will make the final decision. Today, schools in Bexley, Greenwich and Havering have been appraised by us of the petition etc. but in order to achieve success we need a wider audience. Time unfortunately is pressing, and the Planning Inspector is expected to make his decision on the project later this month". Jenni White, of Slade Green set up the petition partly due to living off the A206 main road, where pollution levels and traffic jams are already a daily problem; she reports that "One day I counted 8 lorries passing before I could turn onto the main road this was at 11.30 a.m!" Jon Cruddas MP for Dagenham and Rainham has launched a petition against the plans which will undoubtedly have a severe impact on air quality in his constituency, particularly Rainham and the Beam Park development area. On his website, Jon writes:- "Incineration is the least environmentally friendly form of waste disposal after landfill, and the energy produced by this scheme if approved is not enough to justify the negative impact it would have on the London Riverside Opportunity areas. Over the last five years recycling rates have stalled across the UK whilst government approved waste incineration has doubled. The Tories seem to have a complete disregard for our environment and the quality of air we breathe. Thermal Energy from Waste (EfW) plants do deliver large energy generation benefits however, they do this by destroying waste materials in a harmful way which releases air pollutants and greenhouse gases on an industrial scale. The use of EfW plants will also have an impact on recycling rates in London with much recyclable waste being redirected and incinerated. I am in complete opposition to the proposal and next year when these plans open up I hope that both local authorities in my constituency will join me in opposing the development. I will also be writing to the Thames Estuary Commission raising my concerns. The application fails to meet the Mayor of London’s key environmental and air quality policies included in the London Plan and draft London Plan, and as such the Riverside Energy Park is not supported by the Mayor of London. It is expected that in early 2019 local authorities will be able to respond to the proposals in the pre-examination period". What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly a report from Barnehurst ward:- "Once again there has been no reported burglaries during the past week however in Colyers Lane on Friday 28/06/2019 between 04.30pm and 06.35pm a small brick wall to a flower bed had been damaged in a rear garden and footprints were see near the rear window of the property, there was no sign of any attempt to enter the property. In Grassmere Road on Saturday 29/06/2019 at 05.50pm officers stopped two males after they were seen in Colyers Lane driving with hazard lights on. One male was found in possession with a substantial amount of cash. Drugs were found following a search of the vehicle which led to both males being arrested. The investigation is ongoing. The team continue to be proactive around the ward concentrating on areas that have recently been targeted for vehicle crime. Our next community contact session will be held on Thursday 18th July 2019 at 11.00am in Barnehurst Golf Club". Belvedere ward:- "There has been an increase in thefts from motor vehicles in the Belvedere Park Estate recently. It appears that cars have been targeted with a device that unlocks the car without using the key. Please be on the lookout for anyone acting suspiciously or out of place. If you see a crime being committed call 999 immediately, or if you suspect anyone please contact Police via 101 or our website. The team recovered a stolen motorbike on Monday in the alleyway next to St Augustines School. It was battered but in one piece. Stolen in May from Crayford. We will be conducting forensic examinations to see if a suspect can be linked. We also arrested a wanted burglar on Monday. They had recently moved to the area from central London, however an address was found and they have been brought in for questioning. PCSO Jay gave a personal safety and home security talk to the Evergreen Care Group. They are a charity that care for the elderly and will pass on the advice given to their clients, as well as taking on board what was advised. Jay also gave a crime prevention talk to the Asian Ladies Group, who meet weekly at the Community Centre. The group found the talk helpful, so much so that Jay has been invited back! If any other groups would like an input (formal or otherwise) from the team please get in touch. Garage burglaries have also increased recently. Latest is Mossdown Close sometime over the past week whereby several thousands of pounds worth of items were taken. A white van was involved in this theft and CCTV enquiries are continuing. Same advice as above, if anything suspicious seen call Police". Bexleyheath ward:- "Sunday 30/06/19 - There was a report of a theft of push bike along the Broadway, bike was locked up but still taken; Friday 28/06/19 – Report of a Theft of motor vehicle along Ennerdale Road Bexleyheath; Thursday 27/06/19 overnight into Friday 28/06/19 – Report of a theft from motor vehicle along Meadow Close Bexleyheath; Friday 28/06/2019 – Report of a theft of motor vehicle along Oakhouse Road Bexleyheath; On Wednesday 26/06/19 – A purse was reported stolen along the Broadway Bexleyheath at about 1230 midday. The team regularly conduct patrols along drug hot spot areas and ASB areas on the ward and conduct regular stops & searches where necessary. On Thursday 11th July – The team shall be holding a contact session between 10am and 11am at the Central Library Bexleyheath". Crayford ward:- "There has been three reports of theft from motor vehicles on the ward, brief details below: Wednesday 26/06/2019 – Bourne Road; Friday 28/06/2019 – Green Place Dartford – Number plates stolen; Tuesday 02/07/2019 – Outside Nando's Crayford Rd Tower Retail Park; Also there has been two reports of theft of motor vehicles reported: Monday 01/07/2019 – Alcock Crescent Crayford; Tuesday 02/07/2019 – Thames Road Crayford. There is a contact session that has been arrange for anyone that wishes to speak to the team at Crayford Library on Wednesday 17th July 2019 between 10am and 11am".

Erith ward:- "Theft from motor vehicles is increasing. Please see my crime prevention advice in the top half of this email to help reduce this. Theft of Motor Vehicle Monday 24/06/2019 14:40:00 Compton Place; Burg - Bus / Com Friday 28/06/2019 Bexley College - Walnut Tree Road – Window broken to the café food items stolen; Burg Res Saturday 29/06/2019 17:00:00 Bexley Road – entered via window; Theft from Motor Vehicle Sunday 30/06/2019 Lower Road; Theft of Motor Vehicle Monday 01/07/2019, Lower Road; Burglary Residential Monday 01/07/2019 Cricketers Close – Entered via rear door; Theft from MV Monday 01/07/2019 15:30:00 Parkspring Court, Erith High Street; Theft from MV Monday 01/07/2019 17:00:00, Hawthorn Place; Theft of MV Sunday 30/06/2019 07:00:00 Carlton Road; Theft from Motor Vehicle Tuesday 02/07/2019 Callender Road Theft of MV Sunday 30/06/2019 05:00:00 Fire Station, Erith Road; Theft from Motor Vehicle Sunday 30/06/2019 16:30:00 Queen Street Baptist Church, Queens Road. The next Community Contact Session in Erith is on Friday 12/07/19 at Costa Coffee Erith at 1pm". Northumberland Heath ward:- "This week the team say goodbye to PC Tom Smith who will now be joining the Barnehurst Team. We look forward to meeting our new PC - PC Lucy Butler when she joins the team in a couple of weeks. The team continue to target ASB on Bexley Road and surrounding Alleyways, working together with the schools and local authority. Very pleased to say, there have been no burglaries, and no Motor vehicle crime on the ward this week. Our next community contact session is on Friday 12th July at 4pm in the Mill Road Library. Please do come along and meet a member of the team and discuss any issues or concerns you have, or just pop in and say hello". Slade Green and Northend ward:- "One burglary to report between Thursday June 20th and Thursday 27th - jewellery was stolen from a house in Manor Road while the owners were on holiday. Entry was forced through the back door with no neighbours reporting seeing anything during the time frame. PC's Mark and James assisted our sergeant who had caught a male in Erith causing criminal damage to a vehicle and James arrested the male. After a short chase on Saturday, Mark and James caught a male in Appold Street who was found in possession of drugs. As he was a minor, he is due back for interview next week. PCSO Mark  attended Peareswood school (Friday 5th July) and Monday 8th. Friday is for a year 6 personal safety talk before they move on to secondary school and Monday is to assist them at Erith Sports Centre as the whole school takes part in their Race For Life event. Our next Community Contact Session is from 1130 on Tuesday July 9th at St Augustine Church to make up part of their Welcome café which starts at 11am".  Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglary: Sydney Road Tuesday 2/7/19 between 2pm – 11pm Victim's room in a house of multiple occupancy was broken into causing damage to the door. An untidy search was conducted by suspect/s unknown, nothing reported removed at this time; Lensbury Way Wednesday 3/7/19 at 9am victim had been alerted by a resident that a suspicious male was seen in his garage and had got into a vehicle and driven off. When victim went to the garage both padlocks had been removed and a petrol lawn mower had been removed. Theft from Motor Vehicle: Grange Crescent Wednesday 26/6/19 between 11:30pm - 9:10am Thursday 27/06/19 victims vehicle was broken into by suspect/s unknown various items stolen from within; Hartslock Drive Friday 28/6/19 at 11:50am victim walked away from the vehicle for 5 minutes leaving a handbag and mobile phone in full view. When victim returned to vehicle a male suspect was seen smashing the vehicle window both items had been removed without victims consent; Sydney Road Friday 28/6/19 between 4pm – 11am Saturday 27/6/19 victim's vehicle was parked on victims drive an untidy search was carried out by suspect/s unknown nothing reported stolen; Kale Road Tuesday 20/6/19 – 2/7/19 Victims vehicle has been broken into while victim was on holiday; Landridge Road Tuesday 2/7/19 at 1245pm Victims vehicle windscreen smashed and mobile phone removed from vehicle without victims consent by suspect/s unknown. Theft of Motor vehicle: Southmere Drive between 16/3/19 – 29/6/19 victim's motor bike was removed without consent. Criminal Damage: St Andrews Close Saturday 29/6/19 at 11:12PM a brick was thrown through the living room window of the victim's property. No suspects seen or heard running away; Mangold Way Monday 1/7/19 between 9pm – 10pm Victim stated his neighbour had caused damage to his fence resulting in several glass jars to smash. Good News. An area which was reported to us for drug taking was patrolled routinely. 3 males were stopped by PC's Nana and Pruden they were searched, cannabis was found. One male was given a warning in the form of Community Resolution. There will be a street a week on Tuesday 9/7/19 at 7pm in Sydney Road.  A social network called Nextdoor has been launched which aims to encourage social interaction between neighbours and make people aware of crime in their area. The social network has already been trialled in 500 neighbourhoods across the UK. Thamesmead East will be putting crime updates on Nextdoor weekly". West Heath ward:- "One reported shed burglary in Longleigh Lane on Sunday June 30th between 1.30am and 07.30am. It was believed to have been committed by a family member. A number of tools were stolen. We have had a number of motor vehicle crimes reported to us again this week; On Saturday June 22nd between midnight and 7am, a handbag containing credit cards and personal items was stolen from a vehicle parked on a driveway in Lansdowne Avenue; Vehicle number plates were ripped off a vehicle parked in New Road On Thursday June 27th between 7.45am and 6.15pm. The victim left the vehicle to travel by train to London, when she returned to her vehicle she noticed that they had been placed underneath her car; A handbag containing a mobile phone, passport, driving licence and other items were stolen from a vehicle in Oakhampton Crescent on Friday June 28th at 11.50am. The victim left her car briefly for a few minutes before returning to the vehicle to discover a window had been smashed and her bag stolen. The suspect was believed to be a white male wearing a black top and riding a bicycle; A number of equestrian equipment was stolen from a vehicle parked in Pembury Road between Monday July 1st at 2am and 3pm the following day. The victim had left the car locked and secure but discovered the boot and the vehicle open. There was so sign of forced entry. PC Gill Couzens arrested a male on Saturday June 29th for the possession of a large quantity of drugs which is a great result for the team!"

The end video this week features the Erith Playhouse - the largest theatre in the London Borough of Bexley, and home to many amateur productions.

A hoax call.

A worrying incident took place last Sunday afternoon, only minutes after I posted my last Blog update. Local resident and occasional Maggot Sandwich contributor Miles took the photo above from the corner of Morrisons car park, looking towards the entrance to Erith Pier. Several fire engines, ambulances and at least two Police cars were congregated close to the river bank and Erith Pier. Miles was unable to determine exactly what had been going on, and contacted me for information. After making some enquiries with local contacts, I was able to determine that the call - out of the emergency services was as the result of a malicious hoax phone call. Someone had phoned 999 and told the controller that a crane was on fire on the banks of the River Thames at Erith. The fact that no dockside cranes have been located in Erith since 1999 when the pier was refurbished and opened to the public by its then new owners Morrison's did not seem to register with the hoaxer. Consequently valuable first responders were tied up for a considerable period of time, when they could have been far more productive elsewhere. It was lucky that there was no major incident at the time, or lives could have been lost. I understand that investigations are under way to try and identify the malicious hoaxer and bring them to justice. 

In a surprise move by Bexley Council, the waste and recycling contract with Serco has been extended by eighteen months; many observers were convinced that the contract would be awarded to a different company, due to the perceived poor performance of Serco. As regular readers will be aware, there have been multiple incidents - including some caught on video - of Serco employees taking residents carefully sorted recyclable waste from their individual bins and pouring it all into the same dustcart, thus undoing all of the good work carried out by the residents. This has been repeatedly reported to the council, but nothing whatsoever has been done about it. Changes to the waste collection schedule are also being brought in by the council, including the introduction of two new wheelie bins – one for paper and cardboard and one for mixed recycling. What mixed recycling actually amounts to is at present somewhat unclear. Strangely the new bins are being imported from a manufacturer in Germany; I presume that a UK sourced equivalent supplier could not produce bins for a competitive price or quality. One thing that does strike me is that many people's front garden are already filled with a multitude of waste and recycling bins, and these two additions are going to make this even worse. Personally I fully support the recycling plans for Bexley Council, but I abhor the unsightly and bulky bins that they deploy. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

The Bookstore Cafe in the former Carnegie Library in Walnut Tree Road, Erith are looking to hire a Cafe Assistant for the successful new local business. The Exchange, the not for profit organisation behind the library renovation have made the following announcement:- "The Exchange is looking for enthusiastic and dedicated individuals to assist in its recently opened Bookstore Café which offers a fresh, quality and delicious menu developed by Chef Marina Power who trained and taught at the world-renowned Ballymaloe cookery school in Ireland". Anyone who is interested in this paid role can find out more about it by downloading the full job description by clicking here. 

Now that The White Hart controversy about opening hours has been laid to rest, and the African restaurant is now in normal operation, the development of the former pub garden is now being processed. As you can see in the top photograph above, the garden has been excavated and there is now a drop of around ten to twelve feet to the new ground level. The site is being redeveloped, and an application has been submitted to Bexley Council. Two of the drawings featured in the planning application are also above. The submission to the council states that:- "Erection of one 4/5 storey building comprising 3 x 3 bed. and 7 x 2 bed. flats and a commercial unit. Provision of associated amenity space, refuse and cycle storage areas and car parking within the lower ground floor". The application may undergo rather more scrutiny than usual, due to the somewhat dodgy history of the proposed developer, as has been documented in some detail by fellow local Blogger Malcolm Knight - click here for the details. Malcolm has been following the story for some considerable time. 

As I have previously mentioned, I rely on readers alerting me to stories and issues in the local area; I don't have some kind of magic prescience regarding local stories. Recently I was contacted by regular reader and occasional contributor Shane, who asked me if I had any information about the closure of the newsagent and coffee shop at Erith Station. At the time I was not aware of the closure, and Shane in return did some digging around. On Thursday morning he Emailed me to say that:- "It is back, with new owners and renovated. The woman running it seems friendly. The previous lot left under a cloud I'm told". So good news - the station now once again has a shop. Thanks to Shane for doing the investigation. 

The press advert above was originally published back in 1955; the product advertised is Cookeen hard vegetable cooking fat, which to this day is still manufactured in the ADM Edible Oils factory - the largest manufacturer of edible oils in Europe. If you have bought a supermarket ready meal in the UK, the oil used to cook it will have come from ADM Oils in Erith. It is also one of the largest local employers, with around 1,200 workers, many of whom live in the local area. It originally started up in 1908, when it was known as Erith Oil Works – the business then was similar to now; they crush and process all kinds of seeds, to extract their natural oils, which are used in foodstuffs, cooking oils and animal feeds. The seeds, then as now are brought upriver in large bulk freighter ships. The distinctive huge concrete silos that are still present on the ADM site were constructed in 1916, where they were some of the earliest surviving examples of reinforced concrete construction in the UK. They were constructed by Danish structural engineering company Christiani and Neilsen, who invented reinforced concrete construction techniques.

Half of British children will own a mobile phone by the age of eleven, according to new research published recently. The study of 2,000 parents shows the average child will receive a phone worth £120 on their eleventh birthday, and will then spend two hours every day glued to the device. But four in 10 parents end up regretting giving their youngster a phone at such a young age – as by their teenage years the child is transfixed by the likes of social media, texts, and computer games. Incredibly, researchers found one in 20 children will own a mobile handset by the age of six, as parents give in to primary school peer pressure. Owning a mobile phone comes at a price for parents – in addition to the £120 upfront fee, mums and dads will be expected to replace the phone at least twice due to it being lost, stolen or damaged. The study, which considers mobile phone ownership amongst children, reveals two thirds of parents will allow their child to have internet access on their device as soon as they get it. On top of this, 28 per cent of children are then allowed to use their phone all day without any supervision from an adult – despite 46 per cent have access to social media channels. The report also highlights that a third of parents fear their children spend far too much time on their phone – with one in eight youngsters spending more than four hours a day chatting to friends and playing games. According to the data, one in 10 children will use their mobile during the school day, and 12 per cent will log in to their phone as soon as they get home from school. Just 10 per cent of children can wait until after dinner before checking their phone. Just one in six parents will limit their child’s phone usage to emergencies only – with many admitting their child uses their phone for a range of activities. Unfortunately, purchasing a phone only adds to the worry parents have. A fifth of parents are concerned their child’s phone has now led to them not enjoying enough quality time with the family, and 16 per cent are concerned their child is missing out on face-to-face interactions with others. Apart from my usual antipathy towards mobile phones, I do have a concern that giving children such devices limits their ability to think for themselves or act fully independently. If they are out and miss the last bus, or some other problem occurs, all they have to do is ring Mum or Dad on their mobile phone to get picked up. They won't learn about improvisation, and in later life this will impair their ability to act in a fully independent manner. What do you think? Do the safety aspects outweigh the downsides of giving children mobile phones? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

You may recall that I recently wrote about The Metropolitan Police who are in the midst of what it is calling a trial of automated facial recognition (AFR) technology, although it has been using the kit since 2016. Recently it used the kit in Romford, parking a van outside the station between 10am and 6pm. The cameras scan the faces of passersby and checks them against a watch list that is supposed to be freshly drawn up for each deployment. Forces have argued the public expects them to use emerging technology to improve policing, but critics railed against the fact it is being tested in live environments without a legal framework and in the face of evidence it has a 98 per cent false positive rate. Since that trial, more information has come to light that the figure is the highest of those given by UK police forces surveyed by the campaign group Big Brother Watch as part of a report that urges the the police to stop using the tech immediately. Forces use facial recognition in two ways: one is after the fact, while cross-checking of images against mugshots held in national databases; the other involves real-time scanning of people's faces in a crowd to compare against a "watch list" that is freshly drawn up for each event. Big Brother Watch's report focused on the latter, which it said breaches human rights laws as it surveils people without their knowledge and might dissuade them from attending public events. Despite Police insistence that it works, the report showed an average false positive rate – where the system "identifies" someone not on the list – of 91 per cent across the country. That doesn't mean nine out of ten people seen on camera are wrongly flagged up, instead it means that 91 per cent of people flagged up turned out to be not on the watch list. The Metropolitan Police has the highest percentage, at 98 per cent, with 35 false positives recorded in one day alone, at the Notting Hill Carnival 2017. The system, though, hasn't had much success in positive identifications either: the report showed there have been just two accurate matches, and neither person was a criminal. The first was at Notting Hill, but the person identified was no longer wanted for arrest because the information used to generate the watch list was out of date. The second such identification took place during last year's Remembrance Sunday event, but this was someone known as a "fixated individual" – these are people known to frequently contact public figures – but who was not a criminal and not wanted for arrest. Typically people on this list have mental health issues, and Big Brother Watch expressed concern that the police said there had not been prior consultation with mental health professionals about cross-matching against people in this database. The criteria for the deployment and use of Automated Facial Recognition technology is defined by the Metropolitan Police thusly:- "1. Public Interest. The use of this technology is permissible only when it is being employed in the public interest. In some cases, this might be straightforward, for example, there is a public interest in being able to identify those engaged in criminal activity. Other cases may be less straightforward. 2. Effectiveness. The use of this technology can be justified only if it is an effective tool for identifying people. 3. The Avoidance of Bias and Algorithmic Injustice. For the use of the technology to be legitimate it should not involve or exhibit undue bias. This can be unjust in two ways. First, some kinds of mis-recognition are inherently demeaning and insulting. Second, technology with these biases can result in unequal and discriminatory treatment of some individuals (for example, members of some groups may be much more likely to be detained and/or required to identify themselves). 4. Impartiality and Deployment. If the technology is deployed for policing purposes it must be used in an even-handed way. For example, it should not be used in ways that disproportionally target certain events, but not others, without a compelling justification. 5. Necessity. Individuals normally have rights to conduct their lives without being monitored and scrutinised. (a) Given that the use of the technology interferes with these rights, such technology can be used only if other, less invasive, techniques are not available. (b) Furthermore, the technology should be used in ways that minimize interference with people engaging in lawful behaviour. 6. Proportionality. In addition to meeting a ‘necessity’ requirement, the technology should also meet a ‘proportionality’ requirement. That is, it can be permissible only if the benefits are proportionate to any loss of liberty and privacy. The benefits have to be sufficiently great so as to justify any interference with other rights. 7. Impartiality, Accountability, Oversight and the Construction of Watchlists. (a) If humans (or algorithms) are involved in the construction of watchlists for use with the technology, it is essential that they be impartial and free from bias.8 (b) The construction of ‘watchlists’ needs to be subject to oversight by an independent body. 8. Public Trust. If the technology is to be used for policing purposes it is important that those using it (either in operational deployments or trials) engage in public consultation and provide the rationale for its use. 9. Cost-effectiveness. Any evaluation of the use of this technology needs to take into account whether any resources it requires could be better used elsewhere. Biometric recognition systems (including data training sets) that will be used in public places should be to be open to scrutiny and effective oversight". As previously stated, I am all for the Police using new technology to catch criminals, but it does need to be properly tested and effective, which in this case it would seem not to be. 

Bexley Council finally made a decision as to the future of the former Belvedere Police Station in Nuxley Road last week; the old building will be demolished and replaced with a four and five story apartment block which will contain 26 flats. Many locals are concerned that the development will be too large, and overshadow existing buildings, such as All Saints Church, which is directly opposite. There are also concerns about the very limited number of parking spaces that will be provided in the new apartment block; the developers counter this by arguing that they expect many of the residents to use bikes rather than cars. I find this somewhat unlikely, as any occupants of the high - end flats will probably work in London, and need to commute via Belvedere station, which is about half a mile away at the bottom of a one in seven hill. Whilst this is fine when going down it in the morning on a pushbike, it is not so great at the end of a long day at work, when your only option would be to walk up the hill, pushing the bike with you, as it is too steep to cycle up, and even electrically powered bikes struggle with the very long and steep incline. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. First a report from Barnehurst ward:- "Another good week crime wise across the ward. A theft from motor vehicle occurred in Beverley Road overnight from 4pm on the Monday 25th February, suspects took small change and sunglasses from a Ford Galaxy parked on a driveway. There was no damage to the vehicle which is believed to have been left unlocked. We have CCTV of potential suspects, enquires are continuing. Please make sure that your vehicle is locked securely, do not rely on the electronic fob always check manually that your vehicle is locked. Suspects are just walking down a street trying car door handles and taking whatever they can when they find a door unlocked. You can help reduce crime considerably just by simply checking that your vehicle is secure. On Thursday 21st February at about 3.30 pm a caravan was set on fire within an old garage block in Chipstead Road .The area had been suffering from fly tipping and the caravan was pushed up against a metal gate in an attempt to prevent further offences. The fire has also caused damage to fence panels on neighbouring properties. If you have any information on theses or any other crimes please get in touch or call CRIMESTOPPERS on 0800 555 111 this is completely anonymous and you do not have to give any personal detail. A member of the team will be at Barnehurst Golf course on Friday 8th March at 1pm. Please come along for an informal chat about any concerns or issues that you may have or just pop in to say hello. As Always please follow us on Twitter @MPSBarnehurst and Facebook Barnehurst Police". Belvedere ward - no report this week.  Bexleyheath ward:- "We have had one report of a burglary along St Audrey Avenue Bexleyheath on the Thursday 21/02/2019 between 7am and 8pm. Entry was gained via the ground floor kitchen window. Also we have had a report of a distraction burglary along Heversham Road on the 26/02/2019 at 1030am. Males posing as gardeners in order to distract and enter property and take jewellery and money. Report of motor vehicle scratched on Park Grove 0n the Tuesday 26/02/2019 between 8am and 7pm. Theft from motor vehicle on Gravel Hill Close between Saturday 23/02/ - Monday 25/02/2019 between 1800 0800hrs. Window smashed -taken air bag Sat navigator and radio and external skirt panels removed. On the Broadway 3x purses taken from bags. On Saturday 23/02/2019 0n the Broadway two females after been advised by Town Safe Officers to move on this was ignored. Stopped and arrested for vagrancy and begging. By Methuen road on Wednesday 20/02/2019 a group of youths stopped by your local police for anti - social behaviour. Engaged with the youths and advised. On Saturday 23/02/2019 on Iris Avenue reports of youths blocking the road local policing team attended and youths stopped on push bikes for anti – social behaviour. Good news officers from your local team conducted Met Trace on ST AUDREY. Met trace is a Metropolitan Service operation to help residents make their homes more secure by providing crime prevention advise and Smart Water forensic property marking kits". Crayford ward:- "Please be aware that there are bogus builders in the area. A resident agreed to a small roof repair, the “roofer” then said the job was bigger than thought and would cost much more, the money was given. The “roofer” has come back and asked for a further amount and the work has not been completed, confirmed as a scam. These people prey on people's fears and concerns and by agreeing to have a small job done this opens the door for the bogus person to demand more. Do not agree to having work done by someone cold calling at your door, always ask for personal recommendations from family or friends if you need to have work done at your home and don't be afraid to make your own checks. We surveyed Bourne Mead, Mount Pleasant Walk and part of Hall Place Crescent and will continue with this in the coming week. Overnight on 20th into the 21st February a venue in Woodside Road was broken in to by means of an unlocked door, damage was caused to electronic items and graffiti was put on the wall. A silver Renault Traffic van was broken in to on Thursday 21st February between 06.00-17.30 at Hall Place car park and an electric tester megger, tool bag and 3 Dewalt Drills were stolen. On Wednesday 20th February at 22.40 suspects were disturbed whilst gaining entry to a garage at Old Road, two Males were seen to make off in a white van. An IPhone 8 was stolen from a van parked outside Bookers Cash and Carry on Wednesday 20th February between 14.15-14.30, please don't leave valuable items on show in your vehicle. On Monday 18th February between 02.00-03.00 a black Ford Mondeo had all windows smashed whilst parked in Heathview Avenue. Between 16th and 17th February, number plates F17 LEE were stolen from a parked vehicle in Tanners Close, these plates belong to a white S3 Audi Quattro. It was reported that on Friday 1st February windows and doors were damaged by an unknown suspect in Shearwood Crescent. On Friday 22nd February between 18.00-18.30 a teenager had his mobile phone and bicycle stolen from outside McDonalds by a group of youths. On Tuesday 26th February between 08.05 and 20.15 a burglary occurred in Crayford Way. The resident came home to find the living room and upstairs lights on and realised that the patio door had been smashed, there were visible tool marks on the frame. The bedrooms had been ransacked and at this time it is not known what was stolen. We have leafletted the local homes with preventative information. Between 22.00 on Monday 25th February and 6am on Tuesday 26th February, a blue Ford Focus was broken into whilst parked at Chapel Hill, items were strewn across the drive and money was stolen. On Tuesday 26th February between 14.00-14.07 a blue Giant bicycle was stolen from outside KFC whilst the owner had gone inside to order food. Suspect was described as being about 20 years old, wearing a blue and white hat, blue body warmer, grey jumper and sunglasses. We will be at Crayford Library on Wednesday 6th March between 14.00-15.00 if you would like to come along and speak with us about anything". Erith ward - no report this week. Northumberland Heath ward:- "One Residential burglary in a flat in Brook Street reported to us this week between 0300 – 0400am on Monday 25th February. An Xbox, passports and other personal items were stolen. The suspect climbed on to a roof and entry was gained via an upstairs window. One attempted break in to a garage in Swanton Road on Thursday 21st February at 01.30am. A white transit van was seen backing up to the garage door causing £600 of damage. On Friday February 22nd at 11.40am officers were patrolling in Bexley Road when they were approached by a member of the public who had witnessed two males in a white van attempting to steal a motorbike. A witness to the attempted motorbike theft saw and informed the officers of what they had seen just before they entered Limewood Road. Suspects in a white van were trying to steal a motorbike by trying to load it into a white van. They appeared to be disturbed and quickly made off in the white van without the motorbike. In their haste they left a piece of their van, the sliding side door discarded in the road. The witnesses knew the owner of the motorbike and called to informed him. She had also been on the phone to 999 but having seen the officers did not compete the reporting process and spoke to the officers instead. The team have continued to conduct a number of stop and searches and focus our patrols in our hotspot areas Bexley Road, Becton Place, Northumberland Heath Recreation Ground and the alleyways leading to Hengist, Horsa, Northumberland Park and Charlieville Road. The next Community Contact Session (Drop In Police Surgery), will be held at the Library in Mill Road on Monday March 4th at Noon. All are welcome to attend".  Slade Green and Northend ward:- "Not good news to start with. 4 garage burglaries have occurred in the last week. Two were at Clark Close at some point between Feb 20th and Feb 24th with tools taken from one garage and nothing taken from the other. A pushbike was taken from a garage in Boundary Street at some point between Feb 23 and 22nd and finally overnight on Tuesday 26th Feb a garage in Reddy Road was seemingly rammed but access wasn't gained. We will be patrolling all our garage areas in the coming shifts. PC's Mark and James have had several positive stop and searches across the ward in the last week resulting in one suspect being charged with possession of cannabis. 2 Community Resolutions were given for the other 2 who had drugs on them. An uninsured moped was recovered in Erith after the suspects fled upon seeing mark and James patrolling. Unfortunately they got away but did leave the moped for recovery. Alderney Road has a new Neighbourhood Watch coordinator and we await registration forms for new watches in Festival Close and Cook Square in Frobisher Road. A meeting was held with Hollywood Way N.Watch after recent issues on the estate with some good intel gained from the meeting. Our next CCS is on Tuesday March 5th from 11am in Forest Road Café, please come and say hi if you are free". Thamesmead East ward:- "Unfortunately one burglary to report this week, which occurred on Sunday 24th Feb, between 1730 and 2100 hours, St Andrews Close, Thamesmead. Entry was forced via the rear patio door, untidy search, jewellery stolen. The team attended the location the following day making CCTV and House to House Enquiries. We will also be holding a street briefing on Sunday 3rd March between 1500 and 1600 hours to discuss the above, and allow residents to discuss any other issues they may have concerns about. Two motor vehicle crimes to report this week, both happened on Sunday 24th February. A Green Mercedes was stolen from Southmere Drive during the early hours, and at around 0700 hours a black Mercedes was broken into, Manordene Road. This vehicle had a taxi badge on display in the rear window. Unfortunately the ward had been targeted recently regarding mini cabs/taxis being easily identified. It is believed the suspects feel money may be left in the vehicle overnight. Other News, a male has been identified for breaking into motor vehicles, after he had left DNA behind, enquiries ongoing. The team arrested a male who was wanted by the courts for failing to appear". West Heath ward:- "Burglary - We are extremely pleased to inform our residents that we have not had any residential burglaries during the last week and we hope that this continues. Non residential burglary - On Thursday 21st February at 0730 hours police were informed that several garages in Osborne Road had their padlocks broken off, no entry was gained and nothing stolen. Theft of motor vehicle - The ward has not suffered any thefts of motor vehicles, please stay vigilant and remember to secure your vehicles and do not leave any property on display. Theft from motor vehicle - During Thursday 21st February at 2230 and Friday 22nd at 0615 hours a vehicle in Ashbourne Avenue was broken into and a mobility scooter was stolen. PC's Gill and Mo have carried out plain clothes patrols in several areas where residents have brought our attention to drug use and drug dealing. We will continue to patrol these areas in plain clothes and full uniform to address the issue. The team had a street briefing in Hadlow Road and were joined by one of our councillors. We were spoken to by a number of residents who raised a few issues about drug dealing, anti-social behaviour which the team will be addressing. Yesterday we had a good attendance at our street briefing in Brampton Road j/w Shakespeare Road, residents raised the issue of vehicles speeding along Brampton Road and not stopping at the pedestrian crossing. Our next street briefing will be held on Monday 4th March outside the library in King Harolds Way from 7pm".

The end video this week features a video by a chap who has set himself the challenge of walking all the way around the London Loop and filming each stage of his journey to be published on YouTube. The London Loop is more properly known as the London Outer Orbital Path; it is a 150-mile (242 km) signed walk along public footpaths, and through parks, woods and fields around the edge of Outer London, England, described as "the M25 for walkers". The walk begins at Erith on the south bank of the River Thames and passes clockwise through Crayford, Petts Wood, Coulsdon, Banstead, Ewell, Kingston upon Thames, Uxbridge, Elstree, Cockfosters, Chingford, Chigwell, Grange Hill and Upminster Bridge before ending at Purfleet, almost directly across the Thames from its starting point. Between these settlements the route passes through green buffers and some of the highest points in Greater London. The chap starts his round London walking trip at Erith, and in this first video makes his way to Crayford. Do give the video a watch and see what you think. Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.