THE Clarendon Neighbourhood Watch has expressed its concern over a lane between Benbow Road and Conyngham Avenue which they say is providing an escape route for criminals as well as a resting place for drinking and drug taking.

Overgrown bushes, snakes, broken glass, drug paraphernalia and illegal dumping has added another element of danger especially to pedestrians and school pupils from Northcrest Primary School which shares a boundary wall with Benbow Lane. To compound matters, the lane lies adjacent to a large tract of overgrown, alien vegetation creating a crime blindspot for many homes on Eastview Road.

Last week the group met with members of the eThekwini’s Municipality’s park department and the Greenwood Park police station to discuss how to best address the problem. Paul Khan, from the neighbourhood watch said the problem had been a longstanding one.

“Homes bordering the lane have been burgled multiple times in recent years and we’ve identified the lane as a way for criminals to easily fence hop. The lane has also been used for anti social behaviour. My concern is also for the children who use it to get to school,” he said.

Khan said after failed attempts to get the municipality to intercede, members of the community had taken it upon themselves to maintain the laneway between the houses last year.

“We need the help of the roleplayers and the permanent eradication of alien vegetation via environment friendly herbicides and ongoing maintenance of the laneway is of paramount importance,” he said.

Two municipal officials (from the parks and land clearance departments) who were present at the meeting said they could not comment to the media but assured the concerned residents and Northglen News the overgrown lane would be cut and maintained.

Chairman of the Community Policing Forum (sector four Greenwood Park), Brian Daish said he hoped the maintenance work would be carried out on a regular basis.

“In the past it’s been hard getting any action from the parks department, despite pleas and requests which are ignored. The Greenwood Park SAPS Community Police Forum is being hampered in their work by these issues which invariably impact on criminal activity such as criminals making use these unkempt areas as hiding spots add to the heavy burden carried by the SAPS in fighting crime,” Daish said.

The overgrown bush around the lane has since been cut back.