A SCHEME to combat anti-social behaviour in Hayes and West Wickham has been abandoned despite being given more than £200,000 of government cash.

Plans to introduce wardens to crack down on litter, graffiti and similar problems were welcomed when funding was made available by the Home Office in October.

But the handout was conditional on local funding being raised to match it, and this has not been found.

At a meeting of the council's policy and resources committee, councillors decided they could not afford to allocate the cash themselves.

The news has been criticised by Hayes Village Residents' Association chairman John Thompson who says the wardens were needed to combat the area's crime and vandalism problems.

Mr Thompson said: "It is definitely a disappointment. There are very real problems in this area with anti-social behaviour.

"There is obvious criminal activity, such as scratching cars and removing wing mirrors, and other problems like noisy youths late at night.

"Street wardens would have been a step in the right direction, and it's a shame we are not taking that step."

Auzra Akhtar, who is spokesman for the Community Safety Partnership, a grouping made up of council officers, the police, Bromley business and residents, says attempts to raise the cash failed.

She said: "We will not be progressing with the scheme because we cannot find match funding, though we have approached a variety of different organisations, among them local traders."

December 10, 2001 10:17