Redbridge Street Pastors back out on Ilford Lane patrol to ‘reassure people’
Ilford Lane. Picture: Google Streetview - Credit: Archant
A dedicated volunteer-group who work to help control crime in Ilford Lane will visit the road tonight (Friday) just three days after an aid worker was attacked there.
Bob Hughes, 70, chairman of Redbridge Street Pastors, will patrol the area with two other volunteers to “reassure” residents, businesses and sex workers on the road.
A woman was slashed with a knife in a late-night attack in Ilford Lane when working as part of a Redbridge Street Pastors’ initiative to tackle on-street prostitution on Tuesday.
A 43-year-old man has since been arrested in connection with the incident.
“We just want to reassure people,” said Mr Hughes. “I meet with everybody when I am on patrol and most people are happy to see us – ‘help, care and listen’ is our motto’.”
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Mr Hughes added since Redbridge Street Pastors started patrolling the road in 2010 the number of sex workers has declined on the road.
“I can appreciate that residents want to get rid of the prostitutes,” he said. “It is a police priority for the area.
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“The sex workers will be concerned there was an attack and they might well be asking after the victim.”
Mr Hughes added patrolling the road for the past four years “was quite fun”.
“You meet a lot of people and you talk to them and some can get some problems off their chests,” said Mr Hughes.
