Wansteadium

Police officers rode in the driver’s cab of a Snaresbrook-bound train on Monday afternoon to see if they could spot a suspect who they thought was hiding by the side of the track.

The suspect had been chased by officers on to the platform at Leytonstone, where he jumped on to the track in front of the train which was waiting in the platform.

While other officers hunted in the area around the Leytonstone station, two officers got into the driver’s cab as the train was then inched along the line so they could see if he was hiding in the undergrowth by the side of the track. Passengers were kept in touch with events by the driver’s announcements.

Steep barbed-wire fences line the edge of the overground track so it was not clear where the suspect could have escaped to. Despite the search he was not immediately found, and the train then went on to Snaresbrook as planned where the officers got out to return to Leytonstone.

Farewell to coffee shop manager extraordinaire Paul Grant who has left Wanstead after than a decade’s service – firstly at the Larder and then at City Place Coffee. He is moving to a new job nearer his home – but Paul, thank you for your service.

Easter church events in Wanstead 2023

This does not bode well.

Though of course everyone wants reliable water mains – and if digging begins on Monday, the announcement by Ofwat that it is allowing water companies to bring forward investment plans, this particular crossroads might find itself on the TV news tonight.

Signs promoting Redbridge’s new rules on street harassment are now on show in Wanstead, part of the council’s programme to tackle abuse against women and girls.

The borough was the first in the country to implement the rules under a Public Space Protection Order, which means that “on-street sexist behaviours, such as cat-calling, unwanted attention or touching are now enforceable offences”. Any man who harasses a woman in the street can expect to be fined, the council says.

The council has also published some guidance for men who would wish to help in reducing street abuse (“male allies”) with suggestions about what they can do, with these suggestions:

• Give women and girls space on the street, or on a train or bus
• Avoid touching women even when there is no inappropriate intention behind it
• Offer to escort your female friends and family to places
• Know how to respond if you see someone being harassed in public
• Don’t flirt with a woman who isn’t showing any interest
• Keep comments to yourself and don’t stare
• Do not approach a woman in a group

(Full guidance is on this page.)

The council says enforcement of these rules can be done by police officers and police community support officers, and also by council officials, who may issue fixed penalty notices of £100 in the first instance. It is not, however, clear how the rules would ever be enforced if no officers were on hand to witness incidents.

It’s also worth pointing out that the council banner, above, which says “making sexist comments is now an offence” possibly over-reaches. Sexist comments which are made in a way that harass people may be an offence, but it will be interesting to see if any attempt is made to fine people for making sexist comments in ways that are not harassing anyone.

The full Redbridge Council will on Thursday evening be debating a petition against the closure of Wanstead Youth Centre.

The petition was signed by 2,432 people, enough to trigger an automatic debate before the council. The agenda paper can be seen here, but it doesn’t tell you much about what might happen.

The final decision will be made by the Redbridge cabinet – the inner group of senior councillors which make material decisions – possibly next Tuesday.

It remains to be seen if the council will accept the request by campaigners that a 12-month moratorium be placed on the closure to give time for proper consideration of the building’s future to take place.

The proposal from Vision, the charity which runs leisure facilities for Redbridge, was only published in January and the site – which has been used for more than 50 years – faces closure at the end of April.

It also remains to be seen if the councillors will exercise democratic control over Vision’s proposal or if it is prepared to accept the decision at arm’s length.

One of the risks which was highlighted at the public meeting at the centre earlier this month was a rising sense that Vision had become unaccountable even though it runs key public assets including parks and libraries.

The council meeting will be streamed from 7.15pm on this page – a recording should be available afterwards.