Shock in London’s ‘Parkview’

THE Clarence family tragedy has rocked the upmarket suburb of New Malden.

The suburb was described as “the equivalent of Parkview” [in Johannesburg’s northern suburbs] by a Thetford Road neighbour, who also happens to be an expat South African.

“Most residents here earn a reasonable amount. Houses are very expensive here. There’s the occasional burglary but no serious crime.”

Nonetheless the police deployed additional officers in the suburb to “reassure” res- idents this week.

A barman at a local landmark said the tragedy had naturally become a talking point.

“The consensus is that these were mercy killings. She’d reached the end of her tether and had been watching them [the children] suffer.”

New Malden, in the Kingston-upon-Thames borough of Surrey, is a commuter town with good transport links into central London.

It is populated by young professional families, the retired and semi-retired.

Like the Clarences, many of their neighbours renovate homes to meet their own requirements.

New Malden is also known for its Korea Town after thousands of South Korean expats flocked to the area when their ambassador took up residence in nearby Wimbledon, according to reports.

At the New Malden Golf Club, where Bentleys, Jaguars and Porsche SUVs populate the parking lot, inquiries about Gary Clarence — a golf enthusiast — were met with “we’re not interested”.—