THAMESMEAD: Action taken since Moses Nteyoho murder

THE meeting, held at the Business Academy in Yarnton Way, Thamesmead, aimed to inform residents of work being done to make the area safer, provide activities to take young people off the streets and detail progress in the murder investigation.

Moses Nteyoho, 22, of Chalcombe Road, Abbey Wood, was stabbed to death in Tavy Bridge, Thamesmead, on October 30.

Bexley Council’s deputy director of neighbourhoods and communities, Maureen Holkham, said a one-stop shop in Tavy Bridge would open on Monday.

She said it would be a base for council services such as adult social care, children’s and neighbourhood services.

She said: “We also want other organisations to use it, for example the mental health charity Mind.”

Mrs Holkham added: “It will be a community facility for you.”

Although not open all the time, it will eventually extend its hours as and when other organisations get on board.

She said since the murder, neighbourhood services staff had been in the area constantly while talking to people about their concerns.

The council has also put pre-paid postcards in local shops for people to air their worries, and had been knocking on doors.

Mrs Holkham said an alcohol outreach worker was working with the town’s street drinkers and repairs to Thamesmead Youth Awareness Programme building, where Mr Nteyoho had been before he was killed, were under way.

Alison Breeze from Gallions said following concerns about poor street lighting, the housing association had been installing new white lights in Tavy Bridge and checked all the town’s CCTV cameras were working.

Bexley Community Policing Engagement Group chairman Joyce Sutherland (above) said it had obtained funding from Cory Environmental Trust to refurbish the Wolvercote Road ball court, where Charlton Athletic FC will providing coaching for young people in the spring.

Public complain 'nothing has been done'

THERE was an angry reaction from the public at the public meeting to discuss the situation in the town in the wake of the murder.

Several people complained nothing had been done to stop youths from congregating in Tavy Bridge.

One woman said she felt intimidated when confronted by a gang as she got out of a taxi with her shopping.

Others complained about the lack of police response on the night of the murder.

One accused: “You left us in the lurch that night with no one to help us.”

Several people said their attempts to call 999 from their mobile phones were rebuffed by the emergency operator who told them to call from a landline.

People wanted to know why work on the Tavy Bridge regeneration has come to a halt and were told the recession had hit funding.

One said: “Tavy Bridge attracts gangs and it needs to come down.”

Others were angry the children’s play area had been dismantled, leaving children to play on the street.

There were complaints the extra policing in the town was only a short-term reaction and said improvements must be long term.

And one woman criticised residents who live in Tavy Bridge.

She said: “There’s no one here from Tavy Bridge. It is disgusting they haven’t even shown their faces.

“They shut their doors now, but in the summer when the kids are back out on the streets they will be shouting.”

Arrests and updates

FOUR of the five people implicated in Mr Nteyoho’s murder have been arrested, Superintendent Glyn Jones of Bexley police told the meeting.

Giving an update on the investigation, he said two people aged 16 and 17, both from Woolwich, had been charged with the murder.

The 16-year-old is in custody and due to appear at the Old Bailey in April.

The 17-year-old is also in custody and was due to appear at Redbridge Magistrates’ Court this week.

Mr Jones said three had fled the country shortly after the murder, but two of these had now been arrested since returning to the UK.

One was charged and the other has been bailed pending further enquiries.

One suspect is still being sought.

In addition, Mr Jones said four women had been arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and assisting an offender.

They were due to return to police this week.

Anger over 999 response

AT a public meeting on November 4 in the wake of the murder, people were angry about how long it had taken police to react to the 999 calls.

Bexley’s borough police commander, Chief Superintendent Tony Dawson (pictured below), then released all the 999 tapes to a group of people from the community, chaired by Joyce Sutherland from the Bexley Community Policing Engagement Group, to analyse.

The meeting was told only four calls had been made to police, although others had called the ambulance service.

But the police operator at Lambeth, when told the incident was happening in Tavy Bridge, thought the caller meant Tower Bridge.

Mr Dawson said operators would now stay in control of the same geographical area so they were clear where incidents were taking place.

The meeting was taken through the calls but people were still angry it had taken nearly 20 minutes for police to find Mr Nteyoho, following an initial call to report a gang armed with knives and Samurai swords outside the Barge Pole pub near Tavy Bridge.

One woman asked why officers in a police van searching for the incident had not got out of the van and walked up the steps where Mr Nteyoho lay dying, instead of turning around at the bottom of the steps and driving off.

Another said Mr Nteyoho had been trapped by the boarding around the construction site in Tavy Bridge.

But one of the group said after listening to the tapes and the small amount of information the police were given, he could understand the police’s actions.

Political visitors

IN the wake of the murder, a number of prominent politicians visited the area and now the town has been given £125,000 of government funding.

The joint bid by Bexley Council and Gallions Housing Association for money to fund a family intervention project to help tackle anti-social behaviour was supported by the town’s MP John Austin.

He had hosted a visit to Thamesmead by local government minister Barbara Follett last month.

He also met with communities and local government secretary John Denham to explain the problems caused by Thamesmead being split between two boroughs, with Greenwich attracting far more financial help than the other.

Bexley has also been given another £54,000 to combat anti-social behaviour across the borough.

Bexley Council leader Councillor Teresa O’Neill has said she is talking with groups in Thamesmead to see if some of this cash can also be used there.

What do you think? Are you a Thamesmead resident? Have things improved for you at all? Add your comments below.