CONCERNS over crime and anti social behaviour will be on the agenda at a public meeting this Friday (July 20).


A panel including the borough’s police chief Sue Williams, MP Iain Duncan Smith, and Leader of Redbridge Council Keith Prince will face the public at St Marys Church in High Road, South Woodford between 5pm-7pm.


At the last meeting in February this year, the panel faced tough questions about anti social behaviour associated with nearby bars, and addressed concerns around muggings, burglary and gun crime.


Lily Richardson, 49, of Malford Grove in South Woodford helped organise Friday’s event.


She said: “This meeting will give residents a chance to see if the police and politicians are following up on the concerns they raised last time.


“I feel many of the problems that will be discussed have come about as a result of urbanisation.


“This is no longer the nice little suburb it was and I hope that there will be some discussion about overdevelopment.”


Many of those at the previous meeting demanded tougher action to deal with problems of ASB which they say are associated with local bars.


Residents in Tempus Court and Manor Lodge in High Road, South Woodford have held a series of private meetings with the owners of nearby bar Funky Mojoe to try and resolve issues of ASB outside the club.


But Bernice Van Loen, 68, of Tempus Court said: “It felt like we were just rehashing a lot of the same old stuff at the meetings.


“We have been battling similar issues for three or four years and things are just the same.


“There is still a sense of frustration and we will be voicing that on Friday.”


While ASB is bound to be a hot topic, DCS Williams will also face some tough questions about burglary rates in the borough.


Mehmet Suleyman, 43, lives and works in High Road where he runs the Whistle ‘N’ Flute Dry Cleaners.


He said: “I am in the area 24/7 and I can tell you burglary is the thing that worries people most.


“I would like the police to get more community officers out on the beat to deter crime.


“But the only time I have seen one recently was when they were escorting a traffic warden who was receiving abuse for giving someone a ticket.”


• The meeting will take place on Friday, July 20 from 5pm - 7pm, in St Marys Church, High Road, South Woodford.