Thanks to Paul for getting in touch with this warning:

I live on the far side of Charlton Park, and the reason I am writing is that recently there have been a few attacks or muggings in the park.

The police are aware of this and one recent case involved my next door neighbour’s son. He was beaten up by a couple of teenagers who got off the 53 bus and followed him into the park to steal his iPhone.

The police got footage of them at the entrance of the park but there was no CCTV in the park itself to capture images of a quite violent attack.

Surely this highlights a clear need to have CCTV in the park. I am pretty sure that if people knew there was no CCTV in there they would think twice about walking through it at night. On the other hand maybe if thugs, young or old, knew this they might be more audacious in their attacks.

Sounds nasty. It does seem strange that there’s CCTV at the busier end of the park, but none at the other where you’d expect wrongdoers to make their getaway through quieter streets. The park’s open 24 hours a day and forms a vital cut-through for people who live around Canberra Road and Charlton Park Lane, so it does sound like they need better protection. I wonder what our local representatives have to say?

You may not know – they had very little budget with which to promote themselves, even before the recent police cuts – that the local police safer neighbourhood teams hold occasional “street surgeries” and drop-in sessions to listen to concerns like this, although unfortunately they’re held while most people are at work.

Around Charlton Park, Kidbrooke with Hornfair ward, which now has to share a sergeant with the adjoining Blackheath Westcombe ward, has one tomorrow (Weds 7th) at 2.30pm outside the Big Plate Cafe on Shooters Hill Road. The Charlton ward team are holding a drop-in surgery at the Charlton Triangle Homes office at Cedar Court, Cherry Orchard Estate at 4pm on Wednesday 14th December.

Covering the north of Charlton, there are also teams for Peninsula and Woolwich Riverside wards.

A quick warning if you walk, cycle or jog along the riverside path at the Thames Barrier – the section owned by the Environment Agency will be closed for a fortnight from today to enable the EA to complete security works there. It looks as if barriers are being installed throughout the site, making the place even less welcoming for visitors.

While the work’s being done, it means you won’t be able to get to the Barrier from the Anchor and Hope pub and the path there will effectively be a dead end. There should be a signed diversion route along Anchor and Hope Lane and Woolwich Road, for any walkers or cyclists not put off by the prospect of a mile-long diversion along dual carriageways.

It’s the first ever Charlton Curryoke on 2 December – your chance to sing your heart out, dance like a fool or eat your weight in Indian food (or all three) and help local children while you’re at it.

It’s being put together by The Big Red Bus Club, the new pre-school centre that has opened at the old Charlton One O’Clock Club, which lost its council funding earlier this year.

The Big Red Bus Club is free to use, and staffed by volunteers – so needs to raise funds to keep going. Its first fundraising night includes a disco, karaoke and Indian buffet. So the more tickets sold for Curryoke, the better.

Tickets are £15 in advance, and £16.50 on the door at Charlton Liberal Club, Charlton Church Lane from 8pm. For tickets, more information, requests or if you would like to donate a prize, email party[at]bigredbusclub.com or visit their Facebook page.