Mark Read in front of bandstand

NEIGHBOURS in Wilmington Square say they want to transform the park into a “positive space” in an effort to stop daily drug dealing occurring around their homes.

They said this week that drug activity has been present in the park in Clerkenwell for more than 10 years, but had escalated recently, pushing them to reach out to the police and the council for help.

Sara Sandman, who lives nearby, said changing the open space to make it more inclusive could counter anti-social behaviour.

She said: “There are lots of kids living round here who don’t have massive amounts of green space and it’s one of those rare places that if it feels unsafe, that’s not right.”

Ms Sandman said she had stopped visiting the square as the number of incidents increased.

Residents have suggested creating a “healing herbal area”, putting in rope swings, adding a badminton court, or using the bandstand at the centre of the park as a venue for concerts, or a pop-up café.

Mark Read, who has been living in the area for three years, said: “It’s physically dangerous. There are people crashed out. There are people who are getting aggressive with each other. There’s a sense of unpredictability.”

Emails to councillors and the Islington Park Service show residents asking for them to send assistance. “This is not a safe situation with the drug dealing and anti-social behaviour. There are children in the community,” noted one correspondence.

People told the Tribune that the anti-social behaviour left them feeling scared and unsafe, as they were now witnessing drug deals throughout the day.

Emmanuel Maurice, who heads up the Wilmington Square Association said: “I see dealers with clients in front of my house. I see that all the time.” Mr Read added: “I think there needs to be more support for people using drugs. We can chase them somewhere else with the support of the police and council, but that’s not solving the problem.”

He went on: “Imagine if it was a horticultural training space, and we had monthly get-togethers to encourage people to connect with plants in a different way.”

Councillor John Woolf, executive member for community safety, said: “We want everyone to feel safe and secure in Islington and will continue to work with local people near Wilmington Square to address any issues of anti-social behaviour. And we are keen to engage with residents at Wilmington Square to discuss their concerns about investment in the area.

“Council teams responsible for patrolling our parks have proactively visited the area in recent weeks alongside the police.

“Our outreach teams will also continue to work to help anyone sleeping rough into safe and secure accommodation and they will be visiting this location more frequently.

“Any concerns about criminal activity, including open drug use or drug dealing should be reported directly to the police.”