Camden News: Liberal Democrat councillor Paul Braithwaite, Cantelowes, action group branded ‘vigilantes’

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Camden News - by RICHARD OSLEY
Published: 24 April 2008

Cantelowes residents Annie Mullins, Andrew Deans, Mary Santi, Mandy Martinez, Rob McNab, Daniel Britten and Dennis Whitlock

Crime victims’ action group branded ‘vigilantes’

A GROUP of residents demanding tough action against burglaries and drug dealing are furious at being labelled “vigilantes” by their ward councillor.
It has led to a row between Liberal Democrat councillor Paul Braithwaite and his constituents in Cantelowes, the residential neighbourhood next to Camden Town which is officially the borough’s most burgled ward.
Campaigners say that the problem has got so bad that raiders in one case left the scene by calling a cab and leaving in the back of a taxi. Others have reported brazen drug dealing.
Posters have been stapled to trees with the declaration: “Enough is enough.”
When asked to attend a residents’ meeting, Cllr Braithwaite emailed back: “I will add my weight and do what I can to help, but I am not going to engage with a politically motivated vigilante group.”
He added that he was concerned that the group was fly-posting.
Annie Mullins, whose home in Camden Mews was burgled at the start of the month, said: “We are just trying to get together and work with the police and councillors – so it was a bit of an insult to be called a vigilante.”
Cllr Braithwaite said: “This was nothing less than fly-posting.
“They were operating outside specifically designed and approved mature, experienced structures charged with addressing exactly problems such as these. That, to my mind, is vigilante.”

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