Southwark Council is looking for a community/voluntary sector organisation to take on the youth centre at The Blue. Details here.

Cavendish School – based at Lady Gomm House in Hawkstone Road – has been rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

The independent school was founded in 2000 to provide broad and balanced education for children who have been excluded from mainstream schools, and has been based at its present location since 2005.

Inspectors visited the school in May this year and found that “the school provides its pupils with an
outstanding education.

“Pupils make excellent progress and many experience success for the first time in their school care.”

Three months after it launched in Southwark, dockless cycle hire firm Mobike has redrawn its coverage map to exclude Greenland Dock and South Dock, with users risking a £10 surcharge if they park a bike beyond the invisible boundary line.

Formerly available across the whole of the borough of Southwark, Mobike has also withdrawn its service from much of Camberwell, Peckham and Dulwich.

The company has given details of the changes in a blog post.

Mobike has also recently hiked its prices, with pay-as-you go use now charged in 20 minute units instead of 30.

The blue line shows the new limit of Mobike operations

 

Police investigating a robbery in the Stave Hill Ecology Park have made an arrest.

The 22-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of robbery in the early hours of Thursday 7 June. He was taken into custody at a south London police station and later bailed pending further enquiries to a date in late June.

The arrest follows an incident that occurred at around 11.25 on Friday 1 June near the Trust for Urban Ecology building in the park.

Two women, aged 37 and 40, were walking with their children through the park when they were robbed of their phones at knifepoint by two males. During the incident one of the women was stabbed in the hand.

A man, aged 49, who came to the assistance of the victims, also received a stab injury.

The two males suspects fled on foot through the woods following the incident.

The two injured people were taken to hospital for treatment and have since been discharged.

“This was a shocking and brazen attack in broad daylight which resulted in two people receiving stab injuries and a number of children being terrified,” said Inspector Owen Pyle, who is in charge of neighbourhood policing in Southwark.

“While we have made an arrest, our work remains ongoing to ensure those responsible for this abhorrent crime are brought to justice.

“There will be increased police patrols of the area over the next few weeks in the run up to the summer holidays, particularly around school start and finish times, to reassure residents and deal with any issues.

“I would urge the community to report all incidents or suspicious behaviour to police; even if the information seems insignificant, it may be the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle for us.”

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Southwark Police on 101 quoting ref: 2786/1Jun. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

  • Local residents concerned about recent apparent increases in crime and antisocial behaviour in SE16 have organised the Canada Water Reclaim March on Sunday 24 June, starting at Stave Hill.

A new one-way system around Thurland Road and Old Jamaica Road came into force this week.

As Canon Gary Jenkins, vicar of St James’s, writes on his blog: “It all began when a child from St James’s school was hit by a car on their way home from school.

“Then school governors, councillors, and the traffic planners at Southwark put their heads together.

“Traffic flows and speeds were measured, residents were consulted about various options – and today it came into operation.”

More details in the official documents here.

A man who conducted a campaign of fear against a member of  staff at Surrey Quays station has been jailed for more than two years.

37-year-old Patrick McFetridge from Druid Street threatened and intimidated the worker at Surrey Quays station nine times between November 2017 and February 2018, including racially abusing them, swearing at them and making threats to kill.
During his three-month scare campaign, McFetridge told the member of staff he would cut their face and come after their family. He also urinated on the counter while the victim was stood behind it, which required specialist cleaning afterwards.
McFetridge was arrested and later charged with putting a person in fear of violence and criminal damage, which he denied.
Following a trial he was convicted of the offences and on 18 May he appeared before Blackfriars Crown Court, where he was sentenced to 30 months behind bars. He was also handed a five-year restraining order and a Criminal Behaviour Order banning him from Surrey Quays station for five years.
Detective Constable Richard Rowe, from British Transport Police,  said: “For no reason at all, McFettridge targeted this member of staff, leaving his victim fearing for their life.
“We will not tolerate the abuse of rail staff for simply doing their jobs and the sentence handed to McFettridge shows the courts take an equally dim view of such behaviour.”
Siwan Hayward, Head of Transport Policing, said: “Our staff work extremely hard assisting customers and ensuring the network is a safe environment for all. Like everyone, they have the right to go about their job without fear or intimidation. The sentence handed down to McFetridge reflects the seriousness of his actions and that we do not tolerate, in any way, abuse against our staff.”