The Metropolitan Police had Croydon town centre on lockdown last night, issuing a Section 60 order following a stabbing on George Street earlier in the day.
Evidence search: a crime scene remained in place throughout the evening as detectives scoured the area
Shortly before 2pm, a 23-year-old man was stabbed in the neck outside the George Street Express off licence.
Emergency services were quickly on the scene, with the man taken to hospital, where he remains today, his condition described as not life-threatening.
“Pools of blood” were visible on the street outside the shop where the attack took place.
Eye-witnesses suggested that the attack may be gang-related, though the Metropolitan Police have not confirmed this.
No arrests have been made, but from 2.26pm to 10pm last night the Met had a S60 order in place, giving officers the powers granted under Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 to stop and search anyone in a specific area, without needing to have reasonable grounds. Failure to submit to a search is considered an offence.
The S60 order covered Fairfield (or “Fairwell” as it was described in the initial police announcement) and Broad Green (“Broadgreen”) wards and Croydon town centre.
“This is due to a serious assault by means of stabbing that occurred today,” the Met’s notification read.
In a statement this morning, the Metropolitan Police said, “Enquiries continue.
“Anyone with information is asked to call police via 101 reference CAD 3728/01Oct.”
People working along George Street, the main road and tram route through central Croydon from East Croydon Station to the North End shopping area, said that gang-related drug dealing occurs there all day, everyday.
“This is Croydon,” one said. “We are worried about it. Of course we’re going to be worried. We are afraid. We need proper police every time in this area.”
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ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: In January 2024, Croydon was named among the country’s rottenest boroughs for a SEVENTH successive year in the annual round-up of civic cock-ups in Private Eye magazine
To quote Monty Python, after Dinsdale Piranha nuked Luton, “Even the police began to sit up and take notice.” Unfortunately, Croydon Met reacting to events is no substitute for pro-active visible patrolling.
Where are all the extra officers that the last Tory government promised us? We need an answer to that question, not gimmicks like knife arches and facial recognition cameras, which obviously don’t impress the lowlife who carry knives and use them.
We also need answers from our politicians. What are our MPs, part-time Mayor and councillors going to do about this latest stabbing, just half a mile from Croydon police station and stone’s throw away from the mural to Elianne Andam? Doing nothing is not an option
Everything is Reactive ! The government creating no new police to go on the beat.Croydon is riddled with drug pushers in broad daylight all over Croydon but there are no police to stop & search until someone is stabbed to death.By then the dealers & knife carriers are long gone so why then put stop & search in place – are the force that dumb ?