London Fields residents call for vigilance after a drastic fall in anti-social behaviour at the park

Wildflower meadow in London Fields

Residents around London Fields say vigilance is needed to keep on top of anti-social behaviour after a dramatic fall in cases following a pandemic crackdown.

London Fields User Group (LFUG) said the reduction in people urinating, littering, playing loud music and lighting barbecues was down to residents lobbying Hackney Council and the police.

The comments come after a Town Hall report revealed cases of bad behaviour dropped from a staggering 7,047 in 2021 to 1,121 cases last year.

LFUG said it put pressure on the council to reopen the public toilets during the first Covid lockdown because people were using the park instead.

The council has added extra staff to its team covering open spaces across the borough this year, but it is reducing the number of dedicated officers at London Fields from four to two.

The park users’ said the drop in anti-social behaviour is “a result of circumstantial factors and joint working from numerous parties, not just the council”.

LFUG chair Kevin Flemen said the group worked for years to get the message out about damage and air pollution caused by barbecues, and that it was the London Fire Brigade that put a stop to the al fresco cooking.

Hackney Council outlawed barbecues in its open spaces in 2019.

Flemen said: “In the early period of lockdown, it was the user group, witnessing first-hand the public urination, defecation and littering in the park, that lobbied for toilets to be reopened early and called and organised meetings with the council to address the issue.”

He added that improvements happened because of “local residents – in conjunction with police Safer Neighbourhood teams, council enforcement and parks teams – who have met regularly for the past two summers to coordinate and intervene promptly”.

He said the drop in anti-social behaviour is also linked to the ending of Covid restrictions, and the group is concerned “that this year there will be fewer patrols on London Fields as there is no longer a dedicated team there”.

“As the council continues to licence more and more alcohol premises in the vicinity, and with the intention of expanding Broadway Market for further trading days, we remain concerned that anti-social behaviour will continue to remain an issue, and one that needs systemic changes, especially in relation to alcohol sales, to address properly,” he continued.

Flemen praised the “sterling work” of the parks team that clears London Fields every day, as well as LFUG’s weekly litter picks.

He said tackling bad behaviour requires “a multi-party approach and it is important that this is acknowledged”, adding: “Residents have expended huge time and energy helping to address this and offer a blueprint of how to manage such issues across the borough.”