Get the drug dealers out of our community and let us reclaim our streets and parks is the message from those living near the children's playground in Mitcham where a 17-year-old man was shot in broad daylight last week.

The Wimbledon Guardian visited Lewis Road Recreation Ground on Friday where flowers had been laid in memory of Amias Hall to ask the people who use it what it's like day-to-day, what problems blight the area and what should be done to improve things.

The consensus from parents, who fearing reprisals would not give their names, who had taken their children to play on the swings and walk the dog near the long-since disused paddling pool, was that the popular park has become a haven for drug dealers.

One woman, "Sue", said she was frightened to walk her dog.

"A lot of youngsters gather here selling drugs. It's been the case for a long time.

"I've been walking my dog here for 12 years and you can smell the drugs when they're smoking it.

"I've been living here for just over 10 years and it has definitely changed," she said.

"John", who has lived in the area for nearly 20 years, is considering moving because of the dealers who sell narcotics at the gate while schoolchildren pass by.

"At about 2 o'clock in the afternoon they're all waiting at the gate for the dealers. It's obvious that it's getting worse," he said.

"The police were terrific. They haven't got enough money to do their job properly but the boys that were here did a good job and I really admire them. I didn't even know the kid but I got a lump in my throat. It could be a nice area. Nice people live around here. It shouldn't be like this, 20 years ago this wouldn't have happened."

"Mary" said she's seen children as young as 12 smoking drugs in the park.

"I've been living here for four years. I think the whole of Mitcham has got worse. I don't feel safe anymore. That roundabout is brand new because the last one got burnt. Every night there are kids in here. They make a lot of noise.

"You'd think it would be nice having a park but it's actually more of a nuisance."

There is some hope amid the depression; on Wednesday night, two days after the shooting, when the police cordon had been removed, children returned to the park in their droves.

Mother-of-three "Helen" told the Guardian: "There must have been about 30 children playing there, that's more than I've ever seen there.

"It was really nice to see. The park has deteriorated over the last five years I've seen foil used for drugs on the floor and I've been offered it. I'd like to see CCTV cameras installed in the park and obviously more police walking in the area."

July 17, 2002 11:30