Protections at infamous Edgwick Park to continue amid calls for more patrols

[dutchman]

A Coventry park previously named a hotspot for paedophiles and anti-social behaviour is set to keep protections put in place by police. Officers will still be able to move on problem groups at Edgwick Park if the measures are renewed this week.

Concerns over child sex grooming, drinking and drug-taking at the Foleshill green space were raised nine years ago. Police said youngsters were being given booze and drugs by older men who then engaged or attempted to engage in sexual activity with them.

It led to a three-year public space protection order (PSPO) being placed at the park which is next to a primary school. This meant police could order groups whose behaviour causes concern to leave the green space and impose £100 fines on anyone refusing.

Despite the measures being renewed twice, and reports of things improving, problems have continued to blight the area. These have ranged from people urinating and leaving drug needles by a next-door school fence to fights and gang-related crime taking place at the park, council reports state.

A new council update on the park claims the PSPO has operated "successfully" but admits it has not fully removed problems. The park and surroundings have also been singled out by police as a hotspot for anti-social behaviour - showing there are concerns about the wider area - it adds.

Officers have recommended the protections should be renewed for another three years as they say it helps police deal with situations before they get worse. The PSPO was "universally supported" when it was first introduced and there is "nothing to suggest" it is unpopular with locals, they say in a report for this week's meeting.

Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities, Cllr Abdul Khan (Lab, Foleshill) will make the decision at a meeting this week, on February 27. If approved the order will come into force from April 28 and last for three years.

Others also supported the powers continuing, papers show. Edgewick Primary School Headteacher Sally Snooks told the council "generally speaking" the neighbouring park has improved since the PSPO's creation and she would be "concerned" if the powers were lost.

But she also called for more police patrols at the green space, which the school is looking to use for children to learn and be part of the community. She said: "We are still aware of isolated incidents that occur in the park from time to time and we would like to see more regular, visible patrols by police officers during peak times, particularly at times when children are leaving the school." She also highlighted the importance of the park for pupils.

A draft of the new public space protection order states it is to "prevent any activities associated with child exploitation of any type and anti-social behaviour in the Designated Area, including but not limited to fighting, drinking alcohol, drug taking and dealing, urinating and littering." It says the council is making this order as it believes people have carried out anti-social activities which are "persistent and continuing" and make others feel "unsafe."

"The effect of this Order is to prohibit the congregation of groups of two or more persons in the Designated Area where the behaviour of some or all members of the group has or is likely to have a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the community," it adds. Anyone caught breaching the order risks a court summons and fine if they do not pay the fixed penalty notice - though officers say the notices are rarely needed as most groups leave when they are told to by police.