By Alex Delaney
DRUG users are still sheltering in cupboards in an Islington housing estate despite the closure of its most notorious block.
Six Acres Estate on Seven Sisters Road remains one of the most dangerous and run-down in the borough after failed attempts by the Finsbury Park Safer Neighbourhood team and local housing agency , Homes for Islington, to resolve the problem.
After previously admitting that addicts used cupboards in stairwells in the condemned Churnfield block of the estate to keep warm and take drugs, PC Simon Hackworth said the problem had now moved to the nearby Fyfield block.
The cupboards are marked ‘Cupboards must remain locked at all times’ but the locks have been removed, allowing access to dangerous mains fuse boxes.
The block, which used to have an intercom system, now has no main entrance door, weakening security.
PC Simon Hackworth said: “There are people that go in there – if we find them we move them on or arrest them, depending on their behaviour and the amount of drugs they have on them.
“But the problem is getting better, and it doesn’t happen every day or every night.”
The remaining Churnfield residents were moved out last week, and the 72 flats were boarded up over the weekend.
But a local resident, who did not wish to be named, said: “Churnfield was the worst building, but Fyfield is nearly as bad – there is no security and addicts have just moved there now instead.
“Homes for Islington workers clean up the needles and nail up the cupboards, but that doesn’t stop them [the addicts] – they don’t have anywhere else to go.”
Homes for Islington are currently undertaking structural work on the estate, but said that security and renovation of public areas would not occur in the immediate future.
Albert Neal, project officer for the estate, said: “Churnfield will be demolished because a structural survey revealed problems with the foundations – Fyfield is staying where it is, although residents are getting new kitchens and windows – those works were more urgent than security.”
William Gibbs, 76, a resident on the estate, said: “There is a big problem with drugs on the whole estate, a lot of residents are too scared to go out of their flats at night-time, because they don’t feel safe.”
Thursday, 15 March 2007
Drug addicts shooting up in stairwell cupboards
Foster parents of 1000 kids celebrated
By Celia Paul
A COUPLE who have fostered more than 1000 children were recognised at the 2007 Islington Civic Awards this week.
Sandra and Patrick Shiels, who were nominated for the awards by their daughter Annmarie Porter, have been foster carers in Islington for more than 30 years.
Over that time they have adopted eight children, and are in the process of adopting another. Mrs Shiels has even taken in whole families, while her husband redecorated their homes for free.
Ms Porter said: “All of us are proud to be a part of such a big and diverse family, aged from six years of age to 62.
Mum and Dad have worked so hard, they really deserve this, especially because Dad has been having health problems lately.”
A total of ten local residents who are deeply involved in community work in the borough received awards. Other recipients of the annual awards included Perry Fung, centre manager of the Islington Chinese Association and Lunita Williams, a volunteer at Canonbury School.
Council leader James Kempton said: “These awards are about people who work tirelessly and selflessly for the good of others – who aren’t motivated by glory or honours but by giving something back to the community.”
Islington Mayor Jyoti Vaja said: “Ihese people offer others in the borough motivation and energy.”
Tuesday, 28 November 2006
Warming advice for the elderly
By Celia Paul
ELDERLY Barnsbury residents were given advice and help to get through the winter months this week.
The Warm and Well event, held in Chapel Market on Tuesday morning, hoped to get hundreds of residents the help they are entitled to this winter.
Audrey McDonnell, Strategic Projects Manager for Islington Council, said: “Winter debts have doubled over the past three years, and the most vulnerable group are the over 55’s."
Groups including Age Concern, the Pensions Service, the police and the fire brigade braved the weather to hand out leaflets, advice, blankets and free soup.
Marie McCormack, from the council’s joint visiting team, said: “A lot of people just don’t know what they are entitled to, in tax credits, fuel allowances and council tax rebates.
“I met a woman last month who had been paying council tax when she didn’t have to, and she got a rebate of £1800 just in time for Christmas. That makes a huge amount of difference to someone living on a state pension.”
Muriel Jackson, 78, said: “I knew I could get a fuel allowance, but there are lots of other things I didn’t know I could get from the council. I think these things might help a lot this year, and I’ll be much better off.”
Wednesday, 1 November 2006
Demolished housing plans
By Celia Paul
POLITICAL feuding led to a reprieve for a controversial Barnsbury housing development last week, after councillors were unable to agree on a demolition order.
Islington Council met to discuss the development, built illegally on land in Barnard Park, and to vote on a demolition proposal put forward by Barnsbury Councillor James Murray.
But wrangling between Labour and Liberal Democrat Councillors led to a tied vote, broken by Liberal Democrat mayor Jyoti Vaja. She voted to leave the building standing, but to push for financial compensation from developer Lydbrook Properties.
Planning Officer Geraldine Knipe said: "The block of 12 luxury flats and one townhouse on Copenhagen Street back onto Barnard Park, and are built on a depot site that once belonged to Islington Council."
The flats, however, also occupy a two-metre strip of the park that was never sold to developers, and is still council property.
Councillor Murray said: "The decision has upset Barnsbury residents, who find the building ugly and poorly designed."
Piecing art together
By Celia Paul
A LOCAL artist launched his latest exhibition in an Islington gallery this month.
Nine paintings by King's Cross based artist Matthew Swift went on display in the Barnsbury gallery on Liverpool Road at the beginning of November, and will remain there until February.
Jeremy Goth, owner of the Barnsbury, said: “We like to help local artists as much as possible by giving them space to hang their pieces, and letting the public see their work.”
Two of the paintings were snapped up by buyers during the private shows held by Mr Swift in the first week. One was sold for £300 and the other for £500, and Mr Swift said he hoped to sell more.
He said: “I was attracted to the Barnsbury because it’s quite an unusual space to display work, and a good opportunity for people to enjoy it.”
The paintings that made up the collection, Piecing it Together, were based on a series of Mr Swift’s earlier collages. He said: “The collages were a different way to try and configure the world, and hopefully the paintings are a visual representation of the slices of life you see in London.”
A trained teacher who has also lived in New York, Mr Swift said he found London life an inspiration for his painting: “The urban location is a brilliant example for me to work from.”
Dangerous dogs cause terror
By Celia Paul
VICIOUS dogs owned by teenage yobs have caused terror in an Islington park, attacking young children and intimidating residents.
Locals are concerned that a group of teenage boys gather at Barnard Park in Barnsbury with Staffordshire bull terriers, rottweilers, and, allegedly, illegally bred pit-bull terriers.
Mother of two Jennifer Christie faced an alarming ordeal two weeks ago when her son Finlay, aged seven, was attacked. She was walking him across the park to school when a dog jumped at him and knocked him over.
She said: “I realised the dog had its mouth over my son’s face and they were rolling across the ground. I was terrified, we were both crying.”
Finlay was physically unharmed, but she said: “He was really shaken up. He was begging me to find another route to school.”
It is believed the dog owners come from nearby housing estates in Barnsbury and Caledonian Road.
Richard Smith, estate manager for the Half-Moon Crescent Tenant’s Co-operative, confirmed a teenage boy there had had a lucky escape last month after being bitten.
Mr Smith said: “The dog looked like a pit-bull and the boy was really shaken up, but fortunately he wasn’t badly hurt.”
Dogs are a daily sight in the rundown park. Resident James Kelly accused boys of deliberately attempting to make the dogs “more vicious”.
He said: “A gang of boys come to the park all the time to exercise the dogs. It’s like a competition to see who has the hardest ones.”
Barnard Park, one of Islington’s few green spaces, is home to a children’s playgroup and an adventure playground.
Nanny Maureen Towndrow said: “I see them here every week. It’s very worrying - I always keep the children close. Kids are so vulnerable to dog attacks.”
Rottweilers and Staffordshire bull terriers are not among the four breeds banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991, although pit-bull terriers are forbidden.
But estate manager of the Barnsbury Estate, Francis Jones, revealed allegations that pit-bulls are still bred in the area.
He said: “People’s say that there’s a lot of illegal breeding going on. There are boys with all kinds of aggressive dogs around.”
Greenspace, the council body responsible for the park, refused to comment on the dogs, but Barnsbury Councillor James Murray said: “The park is managed very badly, to be honest. The budget for maintaining it is very small, and a lot of the time there isn’t anyone there from the council.”
He expressed hopes that the proposed renovation of the park and installation of permanent CCTV cameras will fix the problem.