‘We’re not safe in this building’: Woman chased home by man into block with no security door as council ‘can’t afford one’
A woman who was chased home by a man in the middle of the day has blasted a council for not responding to tenants’ requests for a security door in the estate block.
Grace Power, 30, who lives in Cragie House in Balaclava Road, Bermondsey, said she was followed by a man in Southwark Park Road on Friday afternoon as she was walking home from doing her shopping.
She said man followed her for about 10 minutes, all the way up to the entrance of Cragie House, where he “went for” Ms Power’s glasses and asked if he could see her eyes.
“I said no,” said Ms Power, who made her way inside the building. “But he then realised he could get inside and just walked right in. I ran up to my flat and called the police.”
The entrance door to the block has never had a lock, according to Ms Power, and anyone can get in or out.
Residents of the block have been “complaining for months” to Southwark council, and claimed the town hall told them there was not enough money to fix the door.
Ms Power said she had been left feeling unsettled in her own home. The tenant was also randomly attacked by a man last year and left unconscious with a broken nose. No one was ever arrested as police told Ms Power there was no available CCTV.
Ms Power said this most recent incident was more disturbing than the assault, despite coming to no harm, “because it was in my home”.
Again, police have told Ms Power that a lack of CCTV means they cannot investigate this case.
Other residents in the block have complained to the council about antisocial behaviour, which has led to people taking drugs in the stairwells.
A resident, who did not want to be named, said: “It’s frightening to feel unsafe in your own home – the constant shouting, the smell and loitering are all too much.
“As someone who’s been followed home before, Grace’s story was particularly terrifying. We are not safe in this building. We will be chased right up to our very doorsteps.”
In an email seen by the South London Press, Southwark council has said it is looking into installing an entry door security system in the block.
Southwark council has been contacted for comment.
Pictured top: Grace Power and the entrance to Cragie House (Picture: Grace Power)
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