Croydon residents are fearing their quiet neighbourhood once again becoming overrun with ‘scary’ anti-social behaviour (ASB) unless urgent action is taken before the summer.
Locals living on Oval Road, near East Croydon station, say their street has become a hotspot for ASB, with squatters in gardens, drug use in alleyways, and human waste left near school entrances. Despite this, residents feel they don’t receive the same protection as those living closer to the town centre.
Tucked behind the sleek new developments around the busy station, Oval Road’s terraced homes and community pub present a quieter contrast. However, residents say the area has become a spill-over zone, and it was left exposed after being excluded from Croydon’s town centre Public Space Protection Order (PSPO).
“There were lots of incidents of ASB, particularly in the summer and autumn of last year,” said Addiscombe resident and former councillor Jerry Fitzpatrick. “People were spilling onto people’s properties, coming onto their forecourts, going into back gardens.”
Melanie Felten, who lives on Oval Road, said the problems worsened after the PSPO came into force. “There was a string of events that we didn’t have years back,” she said. “Since the PSPO came into force in 2023 there has been a displacement and spill across the boundary where it is not active.”
“One individual was regularly exhibiting psychotic behaviour on the streets, and it was quite frightening,” said Jerry. “They were emptying dustbins, going into alleyways and finding their way into back gardens.”
According to the Met Police, numerous arrests have been made in and around Oval Road over the past six months. These include for theft of a motor vehicle and possession of an offensive weapon, among other offences. Officers also discovered a cannabis factory on the road, and three men suspected of trying to steal the drugs were arrested.
A major flashpoint is the alleyway linking Oval Road with Cherry Orchard Road. Melanie described it as a hotspot for crime. “There is drug dealing and consumption down there all the time,” she said. “There was also a huge fly tip here in October, which was cleared, but things keep reappearing.”
With minimal lighting and little intervention from the landowner, the alley is also used as a public toilet. It sits directly beside Ark Oval Primary Academy, raising safety concerns for children walking through the area.
Residents fear things could get even worse if plans for a four-storey hostel on the site of a former scrapyard next to the alley are approved. The site, currently overrun and used as a squat, is accessed through crumbling boundary walls.
Residents say recent investment in Croydon has bypassed their neighbourhood. “There seems to be a lot of investment going into certain parts of Croydon, but then it just stops,” said Melanie.
“There is a huge disparity in resources that go into the town centre, and those of us who are on the edge,” added Jerry.
“We are just too close to East Croydon station for it not to be covered,” said Melanie. “They need to address the ASB issues and see where they exist. If you do that, you will see that Oval Road should be included.”
Croydon East MP Natasha Irons said: “Residents and businesses on Oval Road and in the surrounding area have long felt that anti-social behaviour and crime have not been addressed with the urgency they deserve.
“While local police have stepped-up their activity, Croydon council must match that effort by including Oval Road in its PSPO and in the work of the Town Centre Task Force. The council must deliver a joined-up plan with police, community groups and residents to tackle these issues.”
Superintendent Mitch Carr, who leads policing in Croydon, said: “We are aware of the concerns of local residents and policing Oval Road and the surrounding area is a priority for our neighbourhood team.
“Over the past six months, we have stepped up patrols and police operations to provide a more visible presence in the area and tackle offending, making numerous arrests.
“Information provided by residents has proved crucial in tackling issues such as anti-social behaviour. We are also speaking to Croydon council and local landowners, who are looking into long-term solutions.”
A spokesman for Croydon council said: “Through Croydon’s town centre taskforce partnership, we have been tackling antisocial behaviour reported in Oval Road and Leslie Park Road, while the police address criminal activity.
“The partnership visited the area to discuss the concerns raised by residents and to take action to make the road cleaner and safer. As a result, we have been working with landlords to secure vacant properties that were being used by people for fly-tipping and antisocial behaviour.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and ask residents who see anti-social behaviour in Croydon to report it.”
Pictured top: Melanie Felten and Jerry Fitzpatrick feel a new, unserviced hostel on the current scrap site would only worsen ASB in the area (Picture: LDRS/Harrison Galliven)
