New community wardens help to shut two brothels

KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA TEAM SET UP DURING LOCKDOWN REPORTS 843 INCIDENTS

AS lockdown eased and people were feeling more comfortable getting out and about, in a safe socially-distanced way, a new team of community wardens were set up in Kensington and Chelsea.

Since being formed in July the team has responded to 843 incidents of antisocial behaviour – most worryingly among these call outs were the need to shut down two brothels operating in the area.

The team of 14 deals with antisocial behaviour ranging from littering to graffiti and helping to find missing children, of which they’ve found two.

They work with police as well as council services and have helped roads near schools are closed to officers make several arrests as cars at the drop-off and pick up well as preventing robberies in the times of day. borough. There are eight schools in the

Councillor Emma Will said: area signed up so far.

“The number of incidents our warThe team also help police carry dens have dealt with shows that out weapons sweeps. they have hit the ground running During lockdown, Kensington in tackling antisocial behaviour and Chelsea saw a number of illeand environmental crime in our gal raves which police had to break borough. up.

“The wardens know their comAt the moment, it is the London munities well and use that knowlborough with the highest coronaedge to provide a swift, flexible virus rate and according to an and reassuring service to our resiImperial College model, the Londents.” don borough most likely to go into

As lockdown continues to ease, a local lockdown. the role of community wardens in Currently, wardens are able to Kensington will see an expansion issue penalty notices, community to support the enforcement of the protection notices and enforce school streets scheme - where public space protection orders.

DAVID NATHAN Community wardens have responded to more than 800 incidents in Kensington since July, when a number of illegal street raves happened (stock image)