Wimbledon businesses are calling for greater security measures from the Council a month after the London riots.
By Amaris Cole and Scott McWhinney
A month after the London riots, Wimbledon businesses still do not feel Merton Council is doing enough to look after their security.
Although most of Wimbledon remained fairly untouched during the unrest, i.d. Hair and Beauty Secrets, Hartfield Road, had its door broken in, causing damage to stock.
Spencer Franks, Managing Director of the salon, believes that the answer to the problem is the introduction of more CCTV cameras.
“The council should put up new cameras and give everyone one month grace on rates so those businesses could use that saving towards cameras within their own shop.”
The temporary door alone has cost ₤900 and a stock take revealed that a lot of the stores inventory was damaged or missing.
Mr Franks has been in touch with the Conservative Councillor Chris Edge, but he believed his powers to deal with the problem were limited, despite being very helpful.
Other local businesses, such as Wimbledon’s The Prince of Wales pub, have invested in their own expensive camera systems as they do not have faith in the Council’s.
Manager of the pub, Ed Cornwell, said: “I have never seen a conviction from any council CCTV.”
A spokesperson for Merton Council said that there are 13 cameras which run the length of Wimbledon Broadway and 12 can be rotated.
The camera nearest Mr Franks store is one of the 12; however when asked, locals say they have never seen it move.
Stephen Alambritis, Leader of Merton Council, said: “We want to support all the businesses in the borough, but especially the independent business owners who put everything into building up their enterprise.”
However Mr Franks believes more needs to be done: “More CCTV, more police, more control.”
