Fear has spread in Ham as four men in balaclavas have been repeatedly spotted driving mopeds recklessly near a primary school.
Felix Petrenko, 25, urged his community to stay alert after witnessing a dangerous moped driving on two occasions last week.
Another anonymous eyewitness saw the masked men, without licence plates or helmets, aggressively swerve onto a busy pavement outside Meadlands Primary School in Ham on 12th September.
They said: “What I saw is just a snapshot of the countless reports from our area about these people on the moped.
“If nothing is done they will only feel more confident to continue doing what they are doing.
“They’re not only putting themselves in danger but other road users and innocent pedestrians. Is there anything local authorities can do?”
Petrenko, a part-time delivery driver from Ham, believes he owns one of the mopeds in question, after having his stolen in August.
He said: “When you see the moped in your area three weeks after it was stolen, it’s like a slap in the face.
“It’s much more valuable than the actual bike itself because of what it means to me, it brings an income.
“It really rubs salt in the wound when it feels like the police are doing nothing and you see these people get away with trashing your hard-earned property.”
After reporting the vehicle theft to the police, Petrenko was told nothing could be done without CCTV footage of the culprit’s face.
Along with the moped, a car was stolen and a van broken into in the space of two weeks on Sheridan Road.
Debbie Garbutt, who had her Ford Fiesta for five months before it was stolen, feels unsafe in the area and thinks Ham is a hotspot for opportunist thieves due to the lack of CCTV cameras and poor street lighting.
She said: “The area isn’t very well-lit. We don’t go out after 8pm, even my kids don’t go out after dark and one of them is 20 this year.”
Like many other Ham residents, Garbutt is concerned about the men on mopeds and is frustrated by the lack of support from the council and local police.
She said: “There’s enough people that recognise this group, and it’s getting enough reports, why aren’t the police doing anything?”
A spokesperson for Richmond Council said: “We are aware of residents’ concerns regarding dangerous driving and vehicle theft in Ham and are working closely with the Metropolitan Police to address these issues. We are supporting police patrols and investigations into the recent incidents near schools and residential areas.
“We are reviewing CCTV coverage and street lighting on Sheridan Road to improve security. Residents are encouraged to report any suspicious activity to the police, as this helps build a clearer picture of local concerns and enables quicker and better targeted action in the right locations and times that these incidents are taking place.”
A spokesperson for local police said: “Over the course of August 2024, within the ward of Ham and Petersham there have been three recorded offences of Theft of a Motor Vehicle reported, of which one offence the rider was detained and arrested for theft of the vehicle amongst other offences. All of these offences are spread across the ward and there is no pattern to them.
“At the recent Police Liaison Group on 11/09/2024, the local Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) confirmed priorities with the community as Halloween related ASB, Bike Thefts and Shoplifting at our supermarkets. Mopeds riding on the pavement wasn’t raised at the meeting, however we would encourage residents to report any incidents immediately so that action can be taken.
“Local police officers urge anyone who is a victim of crime or a witness to crime to contact 999 in case of an emergency or 101 in a non-emergency, you can also report online at https://www.met.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/
“The SNT team offer regular Police Liaison Groups and contact sessions to allow residents to share their concerns, details of these can be found by contacting the local SNT team through the Met Police website https://www.met.police.uk/.
“Residents are also encouraged to contact their local Safer Neighbourhood Teams with any general concerns or issues in the area.”
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