Have Ashfield Mini Superstore closed at 6pm daily

FAO: Tower Hamlets Council,

I’m writing on behalf of a Residents’ Association representing a group of people living in Ashfield Street, Halcrow Street, Newark Street and Ford Square, all in E1.

We are all long terms residents (some of us over 20 years) with a commitment to the area.

For many years (at least 10) we have been plagued by anti-social behaviour issues caused by a gang of youths who hang about outside a corner shop on the corner of Ashfield and Halcrow streets as well as on Newark Street. This shop is called Ashfield Mini Superstore, 89 Ashfield St, Whitechapel, London E1 2HA

The youths openly deal drugs, take drugs, cause noise until the early hours of the morning, drop food litter, break glass bottles, race their cars and are abusive to residents living in the area.

We have had one young couple physically attacked in the hallway of their house on Halcrow Street because they took away a football that was being kicked repeatedly against their house (they moved out rather than report this to the police because they were afraid of repercussions); a woman has been spat at in the face by one of the youths last month (police were called and the incident logged); a woman has been called a ‘white c**t because she asked them to keep the noise down (again reported to the police), and window boxes have been pulled off sills and tipped onto the pavement. Ourselves, our children and visiting friends have been offered drugs sometimes more than once on the same day. We have been kept awake by music, shouting and racing cars literally hundreds of times.

The overstretched police and in particular Halil Kucuk from Bethnal Green have done their very best to help us and we are extremely grateful to them, but we absolutely do now need assistance from the council.

We have made countless complaints on the council’s ASB page but received no answer to any of them at least in the last year.

We believe that the council should seriously take a look at whether a shop should be able to operate at the above address or should closing the business not be an option, then their hours should be seriously restricted in order to deter the behaviour outlined above. We would ask that in view of all the complaints, and there will be many more to come that you act hastily in either closing the abovementioned business or ensuring they close at 6pm, at the latest.

All the best,

Ashfield St/Newark St/Halcrow Street Residents