Parents in New Addington express growing concerns about rising crime after a stabbing incident near a school and other violent events.
Parents had to walk over blood on the way to school following the weekend stabbing in which a man suffered life-changing injuries. Concerns remain about public safety in the area.
Shar, a local parent, spoke about the crime’s impact, as it happened near Applegarth School. Some parents and kids had to step over blood. She said living where violence occurs is awful.
Bob Bradley, who has lived there since 1971, says crime is getting worse and feels New Addington needs life breathed back into it. He believes kids have nothing to do.
Police responded to a knife attack on Lodge Lane on Sunday night. They found a man in his 40s badly hurt and he was quickly sent to the hospital. Police arrested a 23-year-old man suspected of attempted murder, and he remains in custody.
Police are aware that residents worry a lot and increased their presence in the area. They even allowed more stop and search activity, but that order got revoked later.
Residents feel crime is too common. One person asked, “When is it going to stop?” Another said, “Just another day in Croydon.”
The police were investigating outside a house where blood was splattered on the driveway on Elmsfield street. A resident living near the recent attack heard sirens but ignored them as she has “got used to the sound.”
She thinks the area is usually quiet, but she hears sirens all the time. She wonders why it happens so much there.
Recent events, including the tragic murder of Sarah Mayhew, are part of a troubling trend. Her remains turned up in Rowdown Field, and Steve Sansom and Gemma Watts were sentenced. Sansom murdered Ms. Mayhew while on license after killing a taxi driver earlier, and both admitted to murder and dismembering her body.
The judge gave Sansom a whole-life order, meaning he will never go free. Watts got a life sentence with a minimum of thirty years. Shane Canavan and Joshua Langley were sentenced in December for murdering Bradley Hutchins and injuring another man back in September 2023. Residents created a memorial for Hutchins, with photos and keepsakes honoring his life, outside the fire station.
Knife crime affects all of Croydon. Remember Elianne Andam’s murder? Her killer, Hassan Sentamu, was found guilty for stabbing her to death in public, and his sentencing happens in March. New Addington has seen disturbing crimes, including the murder of Tia Sharp which shocked the nation.
Her killer hid her body. Also, Isabelle Lewis’s body parts were scattered at a local golf course. A neighbor vanished then got found murdered. New Addington faces a hard past. Some people still like New Addington’s quiet side, but many feel it is losing safety and community.
Knife crime feels regular and people feel this is because public spaces are disappearing. Bob Bradley misses local spots, remembering Milne Park fondly, but he said that its pitches lack maintenance. He believes police aren’t present enough either, despite the crime. He says fewer officers are present now, “It’s because they don’t have a police station.” He thinks that it was a bad decision.
Despite concerns, some hope for a safer area. New Addington has many council houses, and many live in short-term housing. Local charities work to support people here. Shar said people help each other. “Everyone does look out for each other.” She headed home to collect her child.
