Residents who petitioned the council saying they were too afraid to use a Redbridge subway after a series of muggings have seen their efforts rewarded.

Redbridge Council has been working alongside the police and Transport for London (TfL) to improve the area around Redbridge roundabout, Royston Gardens and Studley Drive.

In December, the Recorder reported the mugging of a 46-year-old man by two youths, which left residents frightened to walk around the area.

This prompted Wanstead Lane resident Sayeed Kadir to start a petition to have CCTV installed and shrubbery cleared.

He said: “Our campaigning paid off, and the area around the subway has been cleared and the bushes cut right back.

“I want to thank the local residents for being pro-active and writing to the authorities and for the council, TfL officers and police for dealing with the matters promptly. I hope that the area will be safer as a result of these initiatives.”

Since the petition there has been a series of improvements including the removal of graffiti, a temporary CCTV camera request and a regular police presence.

The local police Safer Neighbourhoods Team has also held briefings with residents to keep them informed of the ongoing work and TfL is arranging a site visit to go over the issues raised, in particular to improve lighting and install CCTV.

A spokesman for the council said: “The community safety service and street cleansing team have been working closely with the police over the last year to address the issues raised by residents and to put in place long-term solutions.”

Since the end of January 2011 there have been two recorded incidents of robbery in Studley Drive and two near Redbridge roundabout.