Miriam Hanane, 33, from West Croydon, is looking forward to the Tube coming to Croydon.

She said: "I think Croydon is lovely, there are lots of shops, lots of clubs and bars to go out to and the night life is generally good. They have closed down bars and clubs in the town centre recently because of trouble but I haven't experienced it very much.

"I do feel sorry for drivers because there are so many one-way systems. I am really looking forward to the underground coming, it just means another option for commuters. You can tell they are trying to brighten things up in the town by taking down a load of buildings. Things change so often, it's difficult to keep up.

"My kids are really excited about the Gateway development, kids have got a lot to look forward to in this town."