Authorities call time on grim subway which became magnet for crime

By Harrison Galliven, Local Democracy Reporter

Croydon council has announced it will permanently close a subway near East Croydon railway station after it became an antisocial behaviour hotspot.

The 1960s-built subway in Alytre Road has now been boarded up with fencing to crack down on unlawful camping and crime in the town centre.

The subway has seen a dip in pedestrian usage in recent years, according to local councillors, and its closure comes as part of a wider effort to move people towards “safer” overground crossings.

Croydon Mayor Jason Perry this week acknowledged the subway’s troubled history, which involved a fire which ripped through it in 2021.

He said: “I want to ensure that people in Croydon are safe as they go around the borough. The antisocial behaviour in this subway resulted in a serious fire which gutted the site, and for safety reasons it was closed.

“The subway was not safe to reopen as a public right of way. Our community outreach teams sensitively supported all those involved and continue helping anyone involved in such incidents to prevent problems from happening again.”

Labour councillor for the Addiscombe Wets ward, Clive Fraser, said: “We support the [closure] proposal. There has been a lot of antisocial behaviour in the tunnel.

“Me and my colleague, Patricia Hay-Justice, visited the site a year ago at the instigation of the owners of NLA tower (No.1 Croydon). They pointed out to us that people had been camping in the tunnels and [that there were] bottles of urine everywhere.”

The area outside East Croydon railway station is undergoing large-scale public works redevelopment. It is expected that alternative crossings will link up to the area in front of the station once they are complete.

Pictured top: Subway users Shane and Annmarie said they stay away from other homeless people to keep safe (Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga)