POLICE deny a gang problem is to blame for three stabbings in as many months.
Last Wednesday (5), a teenager was stabbed in the arm after a fight involving up to 20 young men broke out outside Lancaster Road Youth Centre in North Kensington.
A matter of weeks before on February 17 in Golborne Road, a 18 year-old youth was stabbed in the back and leg leaving him with serious but not life threatening injuries.
And on New Year's Eve in Ladbroke Grove, a 23 year-old male was stabbed in the back, again suffering serious but not life threatening injuries.
Residents and councillors have spoken out about a sense of fear and of feeling increasingly unsafe in the North of the borough.
Tasheika Taylor, 16, of Ladbroke Grove said: "I do not feel safe in this area at all. My teachers have warned me that it's not safe and to be careful. The police are here a lot. Particularly around Latimer Road Station. There are just too many gangs around."
Labour Councillor Emma Dent-Coad who lives on St Marks Road said: "I was recently the victim of an attempted mugging in the area. Living in North Kensington improved immeasurably during the time of PCSOs on regular beats. Now you see them rarely. I feel the loss of them personally, and feel less safe on the street."
In August last year seven members of a high profile drug gang from Ladbroke Grove were arrested and imprisoned.
After last week’s stabbing the Chronicle spoke to residents who said that a turf war is raging in the area after gangs from Harrow Road are reportedly trying to take over the patch.
A resident of Northwood House, Clarendon Road, who saw the stab victim but did not want to be named said: "It looked like he had been punched but then he was bleeding a lot. Things are getting worse around here. Everyone knows what's going on and why. A number of people from here who were in a gang are now in prison, so now we have the Harrow Road boys coming over here trying to take over the drug dealing. They're moving onto this patch and the younger boys that are left here since the arrests are trying to defend it. And now we've got 11 and 12-year-olds carrying knives. No one wants to deal with the police. They don't listen to us and they don't protect us. If there's a stabbing then the gangs sort it out themselves."
In an email leaked to the Chronicle, Kensington and Chelsea Council's Community Safety Officer Mark Benbow writes: "I was asked to attend a meeting with the police to be briefed on a rise in tensions between criminal networks operating in the north of the Borough.
"There has recently been some tension between several individuals from the Borough and Neighbouring Boroughs linked to two stabbings.
“As a precaution, increased police reassurance patrols are currently taking place in Notting Hill by Constables and PCSOs. If you have heard anything that you feel the police need to know about then please do call 101 and ask for the information to be emailed to the Grip and Pace Office at Kensington.”
DCI Rhys Willis, head of Kensington and Chelsea CID said: "Kensington and Chelsea is one of the safest London borough's to live, work and visit. The current incidents of violence are extremely worrying but they are isolated incidents in the north of the borough and we are working with local communities and partners to deal with this.
"I would like to be clear that this is not a 'gang' problem as defined in some areas of London such as the post code wars that have occurred elsewhere. This is individual disagreements/feuds that have escalated into violence and threats of violence.
"I would like to appeal to the public for any information on these incidents that will help my detectives in their investigation. You can contact us through telephoning 101 or contacting your own Neighbourhood Policing Team or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."
