TWO brave mothers have spoken out about the violence and intimidation which is ruining their lives on a troubled housing estate.
Jaspal Heir and Melanie Brown say they and their children have been targeted by gangs of youths on the estate who have subjected them to a sustained campaign of physical and verbal abuse.
Their plight comes to light just a week after an 88 year-old widow on the same estate had her £20,000 life savings stolen by bogus callers and a month since mum-of-five Christine Allen was crushed to death by a faulty lift in one of its tower blocks - leading residents to question whether the area had been 'forgotten' by the council and police.
The women's experiences also suggest that a dispersal order introduced in March to prevent youths congregating on the estate - has failed.
Ms Heir, of Navestock Crescent, has applied to be moved out of the estate after being locked in a lift in her tower block by a gang of drunken youngsters who laughed and hurled insults at her while she struggled to get out.
The 51 year-old, said her physically and mentally disabled son Sunil has also been cruelly targeted by the gang, who she said had thrown stones and other missiles at him as he walked to the bus stop.
She said: "I'm scared to leave the house sometimes.
"I either stay in all day or I go to Ilford to keep away from the estate.
"We've even had dog mess thrown onto our balcony.
"I asked the council to move me ages ago but nothing has happened.
"We need better security here to stop gangs of children just doing what they want."
These views were echoed by Ms Brown, also of Navestock Crescent, whose teenaged daughter was beaten up by another gang of teenagers on the estate - who filmed the attack on their mobile phones.
She said: "This estate is not a good place to live. It's like we've been forgotten about sometimes.
"You've got really nice areas surrounding the estate, and we are just separate from that.
"I'm too scared for my daughter to let her out now."
The neighbourhood - formally known as the Broadmead Estate - consistently scores highly in almost all of the council's indices for social deprivation and has a high crime rate compared to the rest of Woodford Green.
Various groups have been set up to provide after-school activities for young people in the area, such as The Bridge Community Venue in Maybank Road, but the mums - and many other residents - say far more needs to be done.
A police spokeswoman said: "Roding ward Safer Neighbourhood Team has received very little in the way of complaints from residents of the Orchard Estate regarding intimidation and abuse by groups of youths.
"We can confirm that we are aware of an incident to which one of the featured residents may be referring.
" As a result one juvenile suspect has so far been arrested for assault and is on police bail.
The team regularly patrols the area and are available for drop in surgeries in the housing office fortnightly on Tuesdays from 3pm to 4pm."
Anyone with information about gangs on the estate are urged to call police on: 8345 3674 or visit met.police.uk/redbridge.
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