PRESS RELEASE

Brent Council's Neighbourhood Working team and the Metropolitan Police Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) will fund burglary prevention equipment in the next few weeks at Grasmere Avenue, Preston Ward.

This scheme is in response to local residents concerns that criminals are entering the rear of houses from alleyways running alongside Metropolitan Underground line tracks, resulting in higher than average burglary rates in the area.

New door and window locks will be installed for people living in the area, particularly the vulnerable who will benefit from increased security.

The Metropolitan police SNT will be visiting houses to assess what equipment is required and will then return with the contractor to install the equipment.

In addition to this scheme, Brent Council's Neighbourhood Working team are working in partnership with Environment Health to install two alley gating schemes along Grasmere Avenue in the next couple of months, to help prevent criminals from accessing the alleyways. The entire scheme should be completed by Christmas.

In an extra initiative Brent Council's Neighbourhood Working team contributed £12,000 to the new Northwick Park Pavilion Youth Club, launching on Tuesday 16 September at 7:30pm. The youth club has been developed by local residents with the support of the Safer Neighbourhood Police to give young people a place to go, socialise and meet their friends in a safe environment.

The youth club will run on Tuesday evenings, where equipment such as play stations, games, and table tennis will be available. The club will be staffed by two volunteer youth workers and a local resident, who will develop the club to meet the needs of the young people who attend.

Councillor Paul Lorber, Leader of Brent Council, says: "Deploying additional crime prevention measures will improve the area and help to contribute towards our objective of making the borough a safer, cleaner and friendlier environment for residents."

For more information on Neighbourhood Working please contact Christine Collins on 020 8937 1971 or email christinecollins@brent.gov.uk.