The council says it is investing heavily and will do everything it can to play its part in tackling violent crime in the borough.

Following a triple stabbing in Pownsett Terrace, Ilford, on Saturday, August 31, residents told the Recorder they are "living in fear" and called on the council to clean up the area to help stop criminals using their streets as a hiding place.

Redbridge Council said it is committed to protecting residents and has invested £3.5million in new high-tech ANPR and CCTV cameras across the borough to target specific hot spots and tackle all forms of crime.

One resident said: "It is small things like getting the trees cut back so it means they can't hide things there. They just throw stuff in the trees as soon as they see police. It's so easy for them to get away with it around here."

The triple stabbing followed the shooting of a teenager just a few roads away in July.

"It's happening too much now," the mum-of-two said. "When you see it happen so often, it becomes normal. How can this be normal?

"We should not have to put up our own CCTV, but people are."

A spokesman for the council said: "Requests for CCTV are authorised based on confirmed intelligence and supporting data from the police, and whilst we haven't received a request for Pownsett Terrace or the surrounding area, we do have a camera located on Loxford Lane opposite Buttsbury Rd which leads to Pownsett Terrace.

"Whenever there is an incident, we do everything we can to support the police investigation, including supplying CCTV images."

A number of the access roads and alleyways surrounding Pownsett Terrace are privately owned so the council does not have the authority to clear and maintain these areas, the spokesman said.

"However, we will do everything we can to help the local communities by speaking to the landowners and serving notices to those who continue to spoil the neighbourhood for others, whilst supporting neighbourhood initiatives such as community clear ups.

"We're investing heavily and working really hard to keep our streets clean and tidy."

Mike Gapes, MP for Ilford South, also said he would be raising the issue in Parliament at the next possible opportunity.