BUS loads of people arriving looking for work in this country are causing a nuisance, neighbours say.
People living close to Roe Green Park, in Kingsbury, are concerned about the anti-social behaviour of mostly young men who come to the area and sleep in the park for a number of days.
Liz Keegan, 51, who lives in lives in Roe Green Village, a conservation village near the park, said: “They are dropped off and have all their worldly goods. They are there all weekend and this is their first port of call in the UK.
“It is a huge problem – it started off with a couple but now there are six buses and it just means that the park is no longer a safe place. They use the park as a toilet and it is full of litter.”
Martyn Featherby, the planning monitor for Roe Green Village Residents’ Association, said: “Each coach has about 50 people on it so I would say there are 200 to 300 people. They use the park as their own personal toilet, they go out in the open and in the bushes.”
Mrs Keegan said she and other neighbours have tried to appeal to Brent Council, the Department for Transport, Transport for London and the Home Secretary, but the police say the buses are legal and the drivers have permits to pick up and drop off at this location.
A spokesman for Brent Police said: “Buses from Romania do stop at Roe Green at weekends and have been doing so for some years. Fryent Safer Neighbourhoods Team conducted an operation with Romanian Police and found out that the buses are legal and have permits to pick up and drop off at this location.”
Queensbury ward Labour councillor, Sandra Kabir, said: “The police have checked everything and it is above board. The residents may feel uncomfortable about it but these people aren’t doing anything illegal. The council has done as much as it can do.”
Sergeant Liam Tierney from Fryent Safer Neighbourhood team said, with the help of Romanian officers, police carried out checks a few weeks ago of licences and insurance and everything was in order.
He said: “We found no one with drugs or weapons and as far as I am aware there are no more problems in Roe Green Park with people sleeping there than there are in other parks in Brent.”
A spokesman for Brent Council said: “We are very aware of the residents’ concerns about this activity in Kingsbury Road which is why we have contacted Fryent Safer Neighbourhoods Team to discuss the issue further. We will be meeting with them to examine the issue and how we can address residents’ concerns.”
