Railway car park has become serious trouble magnet, say wary residents

By Harrison Galliven, Local Democracy Reporter

A small car park tucked behind West Croydon station has become a magnet for fly-tipping, rough sleeping, and open drug dealing, leaving residents and users saying they no longer feel safe.

Despite an intensive clean by Croydon council’s town centre Task Force last year, the site once again has deteriorated. Fly-tipped items, human waste, and vermin are now part of the daily scene.

Some residents describe it as “a dump”, while others warn of witnessing drug deals in broad daylight. The council-owned car park hosts 57 parking bays for commuters and visitors to the town centre. However, many of these bays have been blocked by the overspill of rubbish and the presence of makeshift encampments for rough sleepers.

Zia Mahan, an Afghan national and Just Eat delivery cyclist, has been sleeping rough in the car park for the past two or three months. He spoke candidly about his situation.

“This country is cutting my visa, but I am a respectful person,” said Mr Mahan, who arrived in the UK in 2018.

“The police arrested me,” he claimed. “They tried to send me to the mental hospital. I am not mental.”

Mahan said he would like to go back to Afghanistan, but that his current status means he is forced to sleep rough amongst the cars and rubbish gathering in the car park.

“It is dangerous back there (Afghanistan), but this is dangerous here as well,” he said. “It smells.” He added: “My body and time are not free here.”

Parked up next to Mahan’s makeshift bed were grandmother Corral Henry and her grandson Zephaniah. She said that she has used the car park over the years while shopping in Croydon, but was shocked by its current condition.

She said: “It is in a terrible state. I came here last month and I didn’t see it. I have never seen it like this, and I have been using it on and off over the years,” she said.

“I have never felt safe leaving my car here because you get loads of undesirable people in this car park. That is putting it mildly.

“There are never parking attendants here. I have seen nasty things happen here, and there is nobody here to intervene. As a woman, I don’t like coming here after dark.”

She also raised concerns about sanitation and rodents. “The rubbish bins are usually full and overflowing, which limits the car parking spaces,” she said. “There are rats and vermin, all sorts of things.”

Even her young grandson, Zephaniah, offered a simple but sensible observation: “They should clean it up and use some gloves.”

An Uber driver who declined to give his name, said: “This place is a dump. I have to pick people up from here and there’s often no space to park because rubbish has spilt onto the bays.”

“I see drug deals happening all the time, in broad daylight. They just don’t care.”

The Met Police are currently enforcing a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) around West Croydon station car park. The order gives officers greater powers to crack down on antisocial behaviour, including drug use and public drinking.

Croydon council previously sent the town centre Task Force to clean up the area last year. The Task Force is made up of the council, police, businesses, and voluntary groups.

A council spokesman said: “We are aware of the antisocial behaviour in West Croydon Station car park. Whilst this is primarily a police responsibility, we work closely with them and other partners to deal with these situations.

“The Taskforce is making the borough cleaner, safer and healthier for everyone. The police, and Taskforce partners Croydon Reach and Change Grow Live are helping rough sleepers and other residents using the car park to access appropriate support services and move away from this location.”

A police spokesman said: “The Met takes reports of antisocial behaviour extremely seriously, and we understand the concerns around such offending. We would encourage residents to report any criminal activity they witness to us on 101.”

Pictured top: Zia Mahan, who says he is currently sleeping rough in the area (Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga)