Covent Garden, a central London tourist hub, has been dubbed a "zombie zone" by locals who say the area is plagued by drug addicts and shoplifters. The label follows an alleged attack on August 12 in which four men were stabbed with scissors in Endell Street.
Workers describe daily crime
An assistant manager at an independent shop, who asked not to be named, said crime has been a problem for at least a decade. He described seeing teenagers taking cocaine on the street in broad daylight, adding: "It happens every day and nobody really cares. Central London is a hotspot. People get drunk and high."
The 26-year-old retail worker said he stops shoplifters every week, most of them teenage girls. A security guard at another Endell Street shop estimated he sees up to 50 cases of shoplifting a day.
The 51-year-old guard, who also did not want to be named, said he regularly tackles thieves who enter the store, pick up food or drink, try to consume it on the shopfloor, then attempt to leave without paying.
Business owners share experiences
Ros Tovz, owner of vintage clothing boutique Blackout II, described once seeing a drug addict injecting themselves in the groin in the street outside her shop. She said: "I actually think it's a bit calmer now. Years ago they were up and down the street taking food from people's plates eating at restaurants."
Ms Tovz said she was not reassured by an increase in police patrols after two men used a mannequin outside her shop to smash the window. Despite having witness details, her case was not pursued by police. She added: "They didn't want to deal with it. If anything happens again, I'm not calling them. Police are up and down here all the time now. It doesn't reassure me."
Police response and charges
Ch Supt Jason Stewart, who leads policing in the area, said: "We understand the community concern and recognise there is always more to do to tackle neighbourhood crime in Camden." He said patrols have been stepped up and noted a reduction of almost a quarter in neighbourhood crime in Camden, thanks in part to patrols of hotspot areas and intelligence-led operations.
Stella Gollovena, 47, has been charged with four counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and one count of possession of an offensive weapon, a pair of scissors, in a public place. Police were flagged down in Endell Street at about 12.25pm by one of the injured men. They suffered stab wounds and were taken to hospital, but their injuries were not deemed life-threatening or life-changing.
