Residents across Bexley are being urged to report every incident of anti-social behaviour they witness, as police step up patrols of known trouble spots in the borough. The appeal has been issued by Louie French, the Conservative MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup, who says aggressive and intimidating behaviour by a small minority of young people is blighting high streets and residential streets alike.
French insists Bexley remains one of the safest boroughs in the capital, but warns that anti-social behaviour is on the rise. He described seeing the problem at first hand while meeting concerned businesses and residents at The Oval, where a group of teenagers behaved in what he called an aggressive and disrespectful manner. Even with police officers present, he said, the youths swarmed the area where the meeting was being held and unleashed a torrent of abuse towards officers and residents alike.
The MP rejected the idea that such behaviour should be dismissed as low-level crime. While stressing that those responsible are a small minority of young people, he argued that wearing balaclavas as a fashion statement intimidates shoppers, harms local traders and damages communities, causing what he described as considerable grief in parts of the borough.
French said he has taken the issue directly to the borough’s police leadership, sitting down with Superintendent Chris Jones and local neighbourhood teams to thrash out solutions. As a result, he said, police teams are now patrolling anti-social behaviour hotspots across Bexley, and a new unit of neighbourhood officers has been created to respond rapidly to reports from the public. High-visibility patrols have been rolled out elsewhere in the capital too, including extra British Transport Police patrols at King’s Cross and St Pancras following a spate of luggage thefts.
Officers are also cracking down on illegal e-bikes that have been modified to travel at dangerous speeds, which French said are frequently linked to other criminal activity. It follows a string of proactive police operations across London, including raids in Camden where around £1 million of suspected counterfeit goods were seized.
At the heart of the MP’s message is a simple plea: report what you see. Posting about an incident on Facebook may warn neighbours, he argued, but only an official report to the police can help stamp the problem out. Reports allow officers to catch offenders in the act, build up intelligence and direct resources to where they are needed most. Officers regularly appeal for information once incidents are on record, as in a recent CCTV appeal after a man was punched at Hackney Downs station.
He set out exactly what should be reported: threatening, offensive or abusive behaviour, drug dealing, vandalism, vehicle theft, and speeding or dangerous driving. If a crime is in progress or someone is in immediate danger, residents should always dial 999. For anything else — or where an incident could not be reported at the time — the number to call is 101. French said Bexley’s neighbourhood teams will take action, and that a single report could make the difference.
French, who serves as a patron of the Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association, said he supports local communities in reporting problems and taking action to feel safer on their streets.
The MP also used the intervention to attack City Hall, claiming that more than £260 million is being cut from the Metropolitan Police under Labour, with officer numbers falling and specialist teams being disbanded. He pointed to the overnight closure of the front counter at Bexleyheath Police Station as a symptom of the pressure on local policing, and said he is challenging the cuts in Parliament. Councils across the capital are under severe financial strain of their own, with Wandsworth proposing a record 94 per cent council tax rise to balance its books.
He drew a direct line between reporting and resources, arguing that accurate crime statistics are essential to protecting every penny of policing in Bexley. If every shop reported shoplifting, he said, it would be far easier to secure the funding needed to catch thieves locally — and the same principle, he argued, applies to every crime.
What this means for Bexley residents
For residents, the practical upshot is that reports of anti-social behaviour should now trigger a faster response, with dedicated neighbourhood officers tasked with reacting quickly. Patrols are being concentrated on hotspot areas identified through police intelligence — which is precisely why, the MP argues, reporting even apparently minor incidents matters. Each report helps build the picture that determines where officers are sent.
How to report anti-social behaviour in Bexley
In an emergency, always call 999. For non-emergencies, call 101 or contact your local neighbourhood policing team. Residents can also raise concerns through the Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association, the community network French supports as patron. The MP’s message is blunt: social media posts raise awareness, but only official reports put an incident on the police’s radar.
French closed with a reminder of what is at stake, saying residents are fortunate to live in a relatively safe corner of London — and that keeping it that way depends on the community and the police tackling the problem together.
