Met Police and council action plan for Little Ilford estate

Newham Council, the Metropolitan Police and other agencies have drawn up a 44-point “action plan” for the Little Ilford estate after a joint inspection in the last week of March.

The multi-agency walkabout was organised after we published shocking images of drug users slumped, unconscious, outside people’s homes.

Residents said they were being “invaded” by prostitutes, rough sleepers and drug dealers, making them afraid in their own homes.

Our reporter found faeces and a discarded syringe during a site visit, which tenants said was not unusual. The story made national headlines.

The inspection weeks later found rotting bins, rat infestations, blocked gutters and busted shed and garage doors.

Communal areas in the five tower blocks, in Grantham Road, are to be given a “deep clean”, then undergo weekly cleaning, according to the new action plan.

Fire safety tests are to be carried out and various agencies will organise “more targeted high visibility day and evening patrols”.

Residents like Calvin Terry (top left) say the Little Ilford estate has been overrun by drug-dealing and prostitution, leaving tenants in 'diabolical' conditions, surrounded by 'zombie' drug users (Image: Charles Thomson)

Catch up:

• 'Our homes have been invaded by zombie drug users and prostitutes. We're scared'

Community safety officers will “carry out frequent patrols” and there will be monthly inspections by an estates monitoring officer.

Other council teams will also work with the Met Police to conduct evening patrols.

Non-profit organisation Change Grow Live’s (CGL) drug and alcohol support service and rough sleeping team “will do joint shifts on the estate and with police”.

“The aim will be to support people into treatment and away from chaotic public drug/alcohol use on the estate,” the action plan says.

CGL will also work with domestic abuse and sex work support agency Hestia “to support sex workers away from drug use, homelessness and exploitation”.

The walkabout found antisocial behaviour was being facilitated by an insecure locking system.

A new system will be installed in all five blocks – Charlbury House, Willis House, Arthur Wallis House, Blakesley House and Twelve Acre House – pending a consultation with residents.

Hailing the joint inspection a success, councillor Umarfaruk Ahmed said: “Various teams listened to residents and identified the concerns raised, which have now been included in our action plan.”

Charlbury House resident Calvin Terry told this newspaper: “All of this is because of your hard and diligent work. We are starting to get results now.”