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Camden New Journal - by DAN CARRIER
Published: 16 August 2007

Log chopped up after vandalism by youth gangs

A TREE log that for 20 years acted as a climbing frame for the youngsters of Hampstead has been chopped up after it became a meeting point for badly behaved youths.
According to residents living near Preachers Hill, a section of Hampstead Heath bisected by East Heath Road and Willow Road, the tree, a willow that came down during the storm of 1987, was attracting scores of young people each evening, leading to rowdy parties, vandalism and mischief, including a spate of stone-throwing at passing cars.
Pilgrims Lane and Willow Road Residents Association chairwoman Janine Griffis said the summer months had brought a marked increase in large gangs of young people meeting on Preachers Hill.
She said: “There have been quite few incidents recently and a lot of disorder in the area. It is always the same in the summer. Preachers Hill has always been a popular spot for young people to gather. They come down from the High Street and this leads to vandalism by gangs of young people.”
After discussions with the Hampstead police Safer Neighbourhood team, Heath managers the City of London were asked if they could remove the log.
Ms Griffis added: “Many of us were fond of the log and there were conflicting feelings about whether it should go. But it had been badly graffiti’d and there had been rubbish left lying around it which was unsafe.”
A city of London spokesman said: “Youths had apparently been throwing stones at passing cars from the log. The Met police believe it had become a popular place for congregating and asked us to remove it. We did not have much choice in the matter. We chopped it up and took it away.”

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