I have been through some scary moments in my life, but no more so, than last night whilst finishing a course in Peckham South London. The venue of my training was slap bang in the middle of the ensuing violence and rioting.
As fear took over I sought safe refuge upstairs behind locked doors with many other trainees and the course leader.
From the large window we could see huge numbers of youths numbering in their hundreds provoking police, smashing through windows on business premises, pillaging, looting and vandalising.
As a calm ensued at around 8pm many of us fled through a fire exit and ran to the local station. All around me was the destruction and the debris from the evening's carnage. In particular large amounts of fruit stolen from a local grocers created a real mess everywhere.
I thanked God for safe travel to the station and hoped to walk through the safe streets of Ilford to my home where I wanted to bunker away from the danger in the south and north of London.
My shock at arriving to an ilford filled with Police, a Town centre with prohibited access and news of a rampage on Ilford Lane caused further anxiety. I had to walk a dangerous journey along a much wider route and was fearing for my life all the way.
Outside the Police station I saw a massive number of police and their vehicles and set my mind to walking with a more speedy pace, fearing being a place normally associated with safety.
Reaching home was a cathartic experience and a moment of great joy.
Today the crises continues as I returned to my training course (11:30), Police milled all over the streets of Peckham. They were trying to restore local confidence and peace. To my chagrin, I discovered that my course had been cancelled, yet I had not been informed.
Suddenly a rumour spread that youths were gathering in Camberwell and were to visit Peckham for another day of pillage and plunder. I saw a large gathering of Police and people in suits and decided to investigate, and came across David Milliband. He decided to visit the shocked community of Peckham to share his concern and reassure them that action would be taken to prevent a repeat occurence.
I shouted a call to David and queried what punitive action would be taken on the youths apprehended during the recent skirmishes and majot street attacks in London. His response was non-committal as he replied;
"Our first priority is to restore peace."I did not gain any reassurance or confidence form this reply so I asked him whether the government would be willing to deploy the military to support the Police in the face of the scale and number of these looting activities. Mr Milliban replied;"We are increasing the number of Police on the streets and and belive this is the best way to approach the situation."As a Redbridge resident I raised concern about the attacks on Ilford Lane last night and various BP petrol stations. Mr Miliband confirmed that Policing would be increased in all targetted areas.I returned to my Offic around 14:30 and discovered that my staff had gone home and that all shops on Green Lane had been closed down. I called the office manager on her mobile and discovered that a local business owner had received a call from the Police informing him to shut his business and to advise others to do the same.
I called the local Police to enquire into the treat level and risk of attack and was shocked to discover the call had been a hoax and that I an other businesses had suffered a significant loss in productivity and sales, as a consequence of a unsolicited call.
I have asked the Local police to inform me of any required closures in future as Chairman of the local Business group (East Ilford Business Partnership) and Chairman of Redbridge Against Violent Crime. I have also suggested that they create a communication link with business partnerships across the borough so they can be contacted in a similar fashion, freeing police time to protect the innocent and save lives. It would also prevent future hoaxes that cost so much to our local businesses and exacerbates existing panic.
