Stephen Lawrence murder 31 years ago: How Eltham has changed

Stephen Lawrence was stabbed on April 22 1993 by a group of up to six racist attackers on Well Hall Road.

Over 30 years later, locals are considering the ways in which a feeling of safety has been restored in the area.

Stephen Lawrence

Monique Oshadi, 40, moved to Eltham seven years ago and said the community has become much more accepting of ethnic minority groups.

She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “When we first moved into Eltham it wasn’t quite diverse. But lately, I have seen a whole lot of different people from different backgrounds and ethnicities.

"So that’s quite good to see. Initially, to be honest, when I first moved to Eltham I didn’t like it and I wanted to move out. Now I’m OK with it because it’s changed a lot. It’s come a long way in the last six years.”

Ms Oshadi said police often patrol the town centre but she has noticed less officers on foot since the police station on Well Hall Road closed in 2017.

She said she didn’t feel that the crime rate in Eltham was as high as neighbouring areas such as Woolwich or Lewisham.

The mum said: “I feel safe. But I’m not going to lie to you, I don’t like it when my daughter walks home by herself, she’s 18.

"I don’t like her walking because sometimes there is a group of young boys walking up and down. I think they play football and we have grounds near here. I personally don’t feel safe for her. If she’s running late, I go and pick her up.”

Data from the Met Police stated 687 racist crime offences occurred in Greenwich borough in 2023.

The data also showed that 502 offences relating to knife crime had taken place in the borough during the same time frame.

Black Majority Ethnicity Volunteers is a group focused on working with individuals with disabilities and other challenges from various ethnic minority groups.

A spokesperson for the group told the LDRS that poverty and lack of education were the underlying causes in challenges faced by minority groups in Greenwich and other boroughs.

They said the group believed in fostering more discussions that promote awareness of solutions and forward-thinking ideas to combat the issue.

A teenager who lived off Well Hall Road said he had moved to the area nearly five years ago and that he had noticed police had started patrolling the area in cars more frequently. He said locals were aware of crimes but he did not feel they were racially motivated.

He told the LDRS: “Recently, it’s getting a bit rowdy but generally it’s a nice place. At the end of the day there has to be a certain awareness, not only because there’s a rise in gangs and stuff like that in this area. I’ve heard about racism also which I don’t really pay attention to, but that’s what you have to keep your head up for.”

A Greenwich Council spokesperson told the LDRS that the authority liaised closely with schools about the dangers of knife crime through its Let’s Live #KnifeFree campaign, developed through work with community leaders, young people and families.

They added that the McDonald’s on Eltham High Street also functioned as a safe space for people to go to in an emergency, and that the council worked with Charlton Athletic F.C. to engage with young people on the high street twice a week.

The spokesperson said: “It’s Our Greenwich mission to make sure everyone is and feels safe and we’re proud to be investing in new resources to support this.

"We have invested £1.3million in proactive measures to improve community safety as part of our Serious Violence Strategy and we work closely with the police, and other key partners, to keep the borough safe.”

Brian Nottle, 69, has lived on Well Hall Road for 19 years and said he had noticed a greater sense of diversity on the road over the years.

He added that the area felt safe overall but locals would appreciate more police officers on foot to be able to raise local concerns.

He told the LDRS: “We used to see them, but I haven’t seen a foot policeman for years… They got dropped off in a van by Greenwich [Police Station] and picked up by them and taken back when the shift was up. But now we don’t see foot patrols and that’s exactly what is needed.”

Inspector Jo Chapman, responsible for policing the Eltham area, told the LDRS: “One of the priorities in the New Met for London plan is a focus on listening to the concerns of our communities and working together to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.”

She added: “In Eltham, we have increased the number of neighbourhood officers assigned to the area, and have increased our presence in the high street and surrounding streets.”

Inspector Chapman said a new police base in Kidbrooke was scheduled to open later this year and the Met had been working alongside Greenwich Council to address safety concerns such as street lighting and to target anti-social behaviour.

She added that work had been done with local businesses to reduce shoplifting and resources had been directed into uniformed and plain clothes officers tackling emerging issues such as robberies amongst school children.

A Greenwich Council spokesperson told the LDRS: “The murder of Stephen Lawrence in a vile racist attack 31 years ago is still felt deeply across our community.

"We honour his life and legacy to inspire a fairer and just society and as a reminder to stand up to discrimination.”

They added: “We’re proud that residents in Eltham are rightly so passionate and positive about their beautiful neighbourhood.

"Eltham is a thriving centre, with a vibrant high street, mix of shops and award-winning green spaces which have greatly benefited from significant council investment over recent years including upgrading street lighting.”

The authority advised residents to report any hate crimes they had experienced or witnessed to the police by calling 101. The council has also commissioned charity Stop Hate UK who offer a 24-hour support helpline to report hate crime incidents.