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Camden New Journal - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 19 April 2007

Violent youths

• I WRITE, again as a long time (22 years) resident of Malden Road and also as a single mother of a 21 year old boy and 11 year old girl in regard to Chris Fagg’s letter in last week’s Journal.
It is quite evident that a vast amount of money has been spent in the Queeen’s Crsecent area over which Gospel Oak Safer Neighbourhood Panel presides.
Sadly, the same cannot be said of the Malden Road area (Haverstock Safer Neighbourhoods) because although this administration running Camden Council, granted the widest dispersal zone to date, we residents still have to run the gauntlet of groups of youths and girls throwing firecrackers at each other and into our local newsagent and corner shop.
Two weeks ago one of the owners was attacked in the street by a local youth (his car windows had already been smashed) and it is now becoming apparent to local residents that these attacks on the shops and their owners are racially motivated.
Youths congregate outside the shop entrances either to prevent customers entering or intimidate them when entering or leaving.
There are persistent cases of theft and anti- social behaviour – including underage drinking outside the Fiddlers Elbow – and homophobic insults. Underpinning this is the drug dealing.
Last year I suggested a multi-agency approach to solving these problems. Where are the youth workers that Ben Rawlings promised we would meet with? One business has already been forced out of the area.
Are the politicians going to let a disparate group of boys and girls hold this community to ransom?
YASMIN ALLEN
Malden Road, NW5

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Camden New Journal, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@camdennewjournal.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Tuesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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