Residents of a Newcastle suburb have described their local park as "lawless" and "frightening" after dark. A 16-year-old and a 14-year-old were arrested in Walker Park on Thursday night on suspicion of wounding with intent to commit grievous bodily harm.
The arrests are linked to an incident on Claremont Road in Newcastle city centre shortly after 5pm, where a cyclist was pushed by a person on a moped. The cyclist, in his 50s, fell from his bike and suffered head injuries, and is now fighting for his life in hospital. The two teenagers remain in custody. Police cordons remained in place on Claremont Road and near the Robbie Burns statue in Walker Park on Friday morning.
Residents Speak Out
A Walker resident, who asked not to be named, said she was walking her dog when she saw the arrests. "There were kids on bikes everywhere, it was chaos," she said. The woman added that dog walkers live in fear of teens riding e-bikes through the park at high speed and setting fire to wheelie bins. Much of the antisocial behaviour is reportedly centred around the circle where the Robbie Burns Statue stands.
"I walk the dog here every day at 6-7pm. It's getting worse in the park, I quite often don't come in the park, it's lawless," she said. "You can see nearly every night there's the fire brigade or the police here. But it doesn't deter them, it's quite frightening to come in. There'll often be 20-30 bikes in this circle, and I have gone all the way around the park to avoid them. It's not a great place anymore unfortunately, and I think a lot of people feel like that after 3pm. Sometimes you don't even dare go in the park."
Another resident, Bill, told ChronicleLive: "There are lots of youngsters riding round on motorbikes and lighting fires, there's a lot of vandalism. There's a lot of bother with them." Bill said the issues had been ongoing for "a good while, probably more than a year." He added: "It's alright in the mornings but in the evenings, heading on towards dusk, they congregate and it's getting a bit dodgy."
A group of three young mums, walking with buggies, said they had played in the park as children but would not let their own kids do the same. One mum said: "The park never used to be like this. We used to play in the park, it never had to be locked. My daughter's a teenager and she wouldn't set foot in here. It's horrible now."
Robert, who walks through the park to get to work, said: "It's a regular occurrence in Walker, it's the young'uns, it's like the Bronx. Night times can be bad, they've been setting fire to wheelie bins. There are plenty of respectful people in Walker but at the same time, it's went down hill, and it's not getting any better; that's for sure."
Previous Concerns and Official Response
In September last year, Mary Glindon, MP for Newcastle East and Wallsend, called for a "zero-tolerance approach" to antisocial behaviour in Walker Park, saying such behaviour had worsened during the summer holidays. At the time, Newcastle City Council, Northumbria Police, and Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service all acknowledged concerns.
A spokesperson for Newcastle City Council said: "Unfortunately the warmer weather and lighter nights in summer tends to lead to a spike in anti-social behaviour. We are well aware of the ongoing concerns about Walker Park, including groups on bikes and motorbikes, reports of fires, and damage being caused to park equipment and buildings. We are working closely with partners and for many months have been investing substantial time and resources – including investment in CCTV cameras - in an effort to tackle those issues and reassure the community. Our Empowering People in Communities (EPiC) team carry out regular patrols, as do police community safety officers, and a number of youth organisations are engaging with young people who use the park."
The council added: "Discussions are also ongoing with regards potentially locking the gates of the park in the evening and overnight. We will continue to engage with both those who use the park, and those who live nearby, to try and find lasting solutions to the problems in the area."
