A London town hall meeting erupted into disorder following claims by a Conservative councillor that cats were being decapitated by young people in a local park. Bexley councillors were debating contentious plans for a new Go Ape adventure playground in the Grade II-listed Danson Park when the extraordinary allegations surfaced.
Go Ape Plans Spark Controversy
The proposals for three rope courses drew hundreds of objections from residents concerned about the "commercialisation" of the "precious and protected public asset." However, Conservative councillor Barry Saunders also suggested the Go Ape would be a "beacon" for youth anti-social behaviour.
Addressing the borough's Planning Committee on Thursday night, Saunders stated: "We have seen some major issues within the parks in the past and it's horrible to say but some of our youths are not nice youths. I'll be straight up, and we've all probably heard of it, we have had people cutting heads off cats. It has been disgusting what goes on in these parks. Now if you have got something like this [Go Ape] there I believe you are going to cause more issues."
He added: "We already have a major problem within our ward with antisocial behaviour with many groups of youths coming from out of borough causing problems as it is."
Meeting Disrupted by Public Outcry
The meeting was interrupted multiple times as members of the public jeered at councillors and officers. Despite the concerns, Go Ape's plans were approved, drawing boos from the public gallery. This sparked protests from members who had voted against the move. The four-hour meeting had to be paused, and security was called in to disperse the crowd.
The Standard could not verify if cats had been found beheaded in Bexley parks. However, Bob, a black and white feline, was found decapitated in a Welling alleyway two days after going missing in June last year. A vet described his injuries as a deliberate act caused by a person, according to local media reports.
Previous Cat Killing Cases
Scotland Yard in 2018 closed its long-running investigation into the so-called Croydon cat killer, saying the most likely culprits were foxes. The Metropolitan Police announced the findings after reports that a serial cat killer was behind the slaughter and mutilation of up to 500 pets across the UK. For nearly three years, the force and animal activists were hunting the culprit, also dubbed the M25 cat killer, who was suspected of bludgeoning animals to death before dissecting their corpses.
