Crime campaign blocks off alleyways

Annabel Williams • Published 29 Oct 2009 06:00 0 Comments

ALLEYWAYS across Caversham are to be gated in a bid to stop anti-social behaviour and other crime.

The Safer Reading Campaign agreed at its latest meeting to lock up paths behind homes, giving access only to residents.

A bid for an alleyway behind St John's Road was approved to prevent burglaries after an objection from a neighbour was resolved, while alleys between Henley Road and Anglefield Road will also be gated.

Gates are also due to be installed around the troubled P&A Stores in Nire Road, in the Amersham Road estate, after the campaign group agreed to pay 50% of the cost to Catalyst Housing Association, which owns many of the area's homes.

The shop and its immediate surroundings are the subject of a dispersal order, valid until April 19, as part of Thames Valley Police and Reading Borough Council's wider two-month crackdown on anti-social behaviour across Reading.

The Safer Reading Campaign meeting, on Monday, October 19, also heard that other alleys along Henley Road are being considered for gating.

But Peppard ward councillor Mark Ralph accused the police of failing Caversham, which has seen a spike in burglaries even though Reading-wide burglary has fallen by 14% compared to last year.

He said if the police know who the burglars are, as they claim, then they should be able to lock them up.

Superintendent Steve Kirk admitted that over the summer Caversham was hit "from all sides" by home-grown and roving burglars, but added: "Caversham went from very few burglaries to a lot and is now comparable to other areas in Reading - the river was a bit of a moat at one point and it isn't any more.

"It's not more prevalent than elsewhere in Reading, it's just a new phenomenon."

Tweet

This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 29 Oct 09

Post a comment

Your Comment:

Registered users log in here

Username or email

Password

If you are registered with us, you can login here. If you are not registered, do so now.
Once logged in you wont have to complete word verification each time you post.

Prefer not to register?

Screen Name *required

Email (not displayed) *required

Usernames must be 4 - 20 characters. Registration only takes a few minutes. Registered users can also take part in competitions and other features of the site.

Word Verification:
Enter the text as shown.

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.

Follow @rdgchronicle