Rallying call to save Royal British Legion clubs
- Today's leader
Warning of ‘vigilante patrols’ on Telford estate
Wednesday 23rd March 2011, 8:00AM GMT.
A councillor today claimed “vigilante patrols” could move in to clean up a crime-hit Shropshire estate amid concerns that not enough cash is being spent to deal with problems in the area.
Councillor George Ashcroft said not enough investment was being made in the Brookside area, and he claimed that this had led to “open drug dealing, growing criminality, and crumbling infrastructure”.
He claimed an “emasculated” residents group had formed ready to take action – and alleged the far-right British National Party had also targeted the area as one where it could make gains.
Councillor Ashcroft said the party had been canvassing on the estate, handing out leaflets with a message of “zero tolerance” on drug dealing and street thuggery.
The party has said it will set up its own community group to sort out the area if Telford & Wrekin Council does not intervene. Phil Spencer, Telford BNP organiser, today said: “Clean up this area or we will set up a community-led taskforce to ensure local vulnerable residents are taken care of.”
Telford & Wrekin Council leader Andrew Eade said he did not want to comment.
But in a letter to Telford & Wrekin Council, Councillor Ashcroft accused bosses at the authority of not investing in the area.
“This is what your (Telford & Wrekin Council) lack of action on Brookside has now resulted in,” he said.
“You have given these people an open goal which they are now going to exploit.
“The BNP might mince their words these days, but I will not. What they are talking about here are vigilante patrols.
“I have opposed and resisted the BNP for years and to see this in my ward, I take very personally.”
The news comes as a multi-agency clean sweep kicked off in Brookside this week, which runs until Saturday.
The week-long operation includes a range of activities designed to tackle anti-social behaviour and reduce rubbish across the estate.
Telford & Wrekin Council is offering advice about rogue traders and a community litter pick, run by Brookside Improvement Group, which will take place on Saturday at 10am, meeting outside Brookside Community Centre.
A host of agencies and volunteers will also take part in the clean sweep including environmental officers from the council, police and community support officers from the local policing team and officers from the West Mercia Probation Trust.
By Jason Lavan
Most Commented
- Shropshire Council will face £8m redundancy bill
- Clampdown on Shrewsbury chuggers
- Bishop's gay marriage views do nothing to support bible teachings
- Letter: No sense in overseas job adverts
- Letter: Alcohol price plans annoy me
- Letter: Angered by close encounter of the furred kind
- The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff doesn't raise a smile
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
‘He claimed an “emasculated” residents group had formed ready to take action”
…. I presume they won’t be able to to chase after criminals until they’ve recovered from their operations….
Report abuse
Brilliant humour sir, Thanks for brightening up my afternoon.
I wonder if the councillor knows the meaning of the word in question.
Report abuse
“I wonder if the councillor knows the meaning of the word in question”
I’m sure he does – I think he was referring to the way the council have removed support from the residents’ group, but the way the article was worded did sound funny!!
Report abuse
Who exactly is going to legislate, control and police these vigilantes?
Any teenager with half a brain could make a very effective taser out of an old cell phone, 9v battery and a capacitor.
Sounds to me like someone is determined to kick a hungry tiger in the testicles.
Report abuse
If the left or the right fail a community, it leaves an area wide open to the likes of the BNP.
The Tories and Eade not only ran one campaign but two in Brookside and on both occassions have failed to keep the simplest of promises.
This is not the first time that “open drug” dealing has been covered in the press and its not the first time that Brookside has been ignored.
But remember Cllr Eric Carters words:-
“Brookside needs to be patient”
Whilst they are being patient Eric, you Eade and your party have failed the estate.
Report abuse
I thought Telford was fairly crime free, or did the police crime map get it wrong?
Report abuse
Of course I know what the word means. I chose it quite deliberately. I wanted to convey something stronger than simply lacking in teeth.
Report abuse
totaly agree. I have watched year on year as other esates have had revamps, estates better off than brookside and we are left to try and safegaurd our own properties and children from the growing criminal activities in our communities. Something must be done.
Report abuse
I can’t tell if you’re suggesting that its wrong for the residents to look out for their neighbours and to take care of their own area?
Surely the right thing to do is get outside and walk around, confront those up to mischief! Do it in groups for safety, it will solve the crime problem and wont cost the tax payer a cent! The elected politicians should be organising the residents instead of leaving it up to the likes of the BNP. Unless the councillor would rather spend his time and effort on getting a larger budget alloaction….
Report abuse
Marco is right. The problem, and which Rob identified earlier, is that the BIG group, which I was instrumental in setting up, actually has no teeth because the council are “managing” the situation. BIG is doing useful and practical work at a very low level, litter-picking, stalls, that kind of thing. Meanwhile, Brookside has an endemic drug problem and related criminality, crumbling infrastructure and, as Joanne said, a polulace left to fend for themselves. It should not be for the residents to have to take matters into their own hands but for the AUTHORITIES who the residents pay for to remedy these problems that the ordinary people can get on with their own lives. That means a Council that values and invests in the area. It means Police on the beat. It means action to tackle the scourge of drugs on the estate – not from the BNP or others – but from the people whose JOB it is to act. I faced a constant battle at Brookside over the past 4 years in an effort to try and effect change. I can assure you that I have not been supported by Telford & Wrekin Council. The Parish Council has also been banging away at this and have got nowhere. No Councillor can just pluck the resources and manpower out of the air on their own. It requires the will of the authorities as a whole. Just what will it take to shake Andrew Eade and Victor Brownlees down from their Ivory tower and to provide the political will and leadership to get things done on Brookside? Murders? We have had one or two of those. Arson? We have that most months. Open Drug dealing? An everyday occurance. At one point people were coming from far and wide to visit Burford for drugs. The list could go on and will familiar to many people living on the Estate. Half of what goes on doesn’t even get reported. I often hear about things second or third hand, as most people do. The fact is that Brookside needs help fast and it is up to the Council to provide it. They are the only people who really can.
Report abuse
The only thing the council will invest in are new lavish offices, they don’t put a value on a quality of life for their residents.
Report abuse
That has to be one of the longest paragraphs I’ve seen since I read Moby Dick.
Report abuse
I’ve just come back from Brookside and had a good chat with several residents, one who had just finished walking her dog and was heading home, she said, “I’m getting home before the witching hour starts” – an expression i’ve not heard for years but have never heard being used at 17.30 hrs.
Many residents echoed everything that George has said above and these were said in 2007 and the the following by-election.
But don’t worry, the kids have a new slide to play on.
Report abuse
I am really not suprised, Brookside has been a hell hole for years and the Telford police has let it get this way. I used to be a resident on Brookside and have seen open drug dealing, and violence on a daily basis with my own eyes and if the police were informed they would never turn up until the next day. I personally informed them about a cocaine dealer who was supplying kids on brookside but all the police said was ” Oh we already know about him” , well the guy was still dealing six months later and as far as i know he still is…
Report abuse
George Ashcroft and I were on Brookside by BBC Radio today to talk about the issues we have raised and the Petition put forward to Telford and Wrekin Council.
We were met by a number of residents who offered us support and had a lot to say, but as many will expect, only one would speak to reporters the others wouldn’t for fear of reprisals.
A Senior Member of the Brookside Community, a person who has lived there for almost 40 years spoke about issues on the estate and how he had been the target of antisocial behaviour, this included having his front door kicked in and his windows broken,
Then I was hit with a bombshell, something that I will carry with me for sometime, after talking to us, this Senior Citizen, who’s face went straight and eyes misted over, said
“I go to sleep at night and hope not to wake up in the morning”
This resident made it extremely clear that he felt like this because of what he had suffered and how the estate had become over the years.
This one line keeps going on around my head and the severity of such a statement will not hit home for several hours yet, it will probably start sinking in when it’s quiet tonight, after the kids have gone to bed and I’m reading.
Report abuse
I lived on Brookside for about 9 years from 1980 until 1989, until I moved to Dawley. I now live in Spain where I am rtired, but I do keep in touch with events in the Telford area.
Brookside always had, and still does, problems with dealing in drugs, I would have thought that by this day these things would have been addressed, but reading these comments things have not changed, and I do feel sorry for the residents of Brookside and other estates in Telford area, having to put up with the Telford and Wrekin Council not acting on these problems that persist in the area.
Report abuse