I wanted to update you on what took place in Croydon Town Centre last night.
A group of people gathered in West Croydon yesterday in response to rumours of riots led by extremist groups. The rumours were based on no hard evidence, and these riots did not materialise. By the end of the evening, most people had dispersed. However, some of those remaining, disappointingly, chose to assault Police Officers and commit acts of vandalism. This was not part of a protest.
As I said yesterday, violence, vandalism, and intimidation have no place in our borough. This is not representative of the Croydon that we know and love.
The Police have made a number of arrests for assault, possession of offensive weapons, and other offences. We will not tolerate any anti-social behaviour and must allow the Police to do their jobs.
I want to thank the Police for their efforts to keep our Borough safe. There is, as before, no intelligence suggesting future riots. However, there will continue to be an increased Police presence to ensure our communities are safe.
Thank you to Council staff, contractors, residents and traders involved in cleaning up in and around West Croydon so it can be open for business as normal. Teams were on site last night, getting things ready for this morning. Croydon Town Centre has been open today, as have our Council buildings.
Please continue to remain vigilant and report suspicious behaviour to the Police.
Together, we are stronger.
- Jason Perry, Conservative Mayor of Croydon
