Nasty kids in Peckham Park

[MCK100]

One of them climbed a tree and was breaking branches off and lobbing them at people as they walked underneath (myself included). When I stopped, looking shaken, they laughed at me. 

Then they moved to near the cafe, climbed onto the roof and lobbed a beer bottle, a shoe, and various other things off the roof. One nearly hit a woman sitting there. 

Needless to say they ran off just as I was calling the police. 

[sidebirdz]

On 16/06/2025 at 20:17, MCK100 said:

One of them climbed a tree and was breaking branches off and lobbing them at people as they walked underneath (myself included). When I stopped, looking shaken, they laughed at me. 

Then they moved to near the cafe, climbed onto the roof and lobbed a beer bottle, a shoe, and various other things off the roof. One nearly hit a woman sitting there. 

Needless to say they ran off just as I was calling the police. 

unpleasant. please describe their physical appearance. 

[Sue]

14 hours ago, sidebirdz said:

unpleasant. please describe their physical appearance. 

Why?

Unless there were distinctive features such as unusual clothing, how is that going to identify them, and even if it did, what would be the point, without photographic evidence that they had done anything wrong?

Edited June 24 by Sue

[MCK100]

Agreed Sue - I was suspicious of this post. The poster has only posted once, too. 

If you were one of those kids, or you know them, I can tell you that I have some excellent photos of some of them on the roof, which I passed to the police. 

What they did was assault. 

[Sue]

9 minutes ago, MCK100 said:

Agreed Sue - I was suspicious of this post. The poster has only posted once, too. 

If you were one of those kids, or you know them, I can tell you that I have some excellent photos of some of them on the roof, which I passed to the police. 

What they did was assault. 

Yes, it seemed to have an underlying agenda, and a strange first post.

That's really good that you took photos and gave them to the police.

Hopefully the kids can be identified before they physically hurt someone (or cause further damage or distress).

[Angelina]

On 16/06/2025 at 20:17, MCK100 said:

One of them climbed a tree and was breaking branches off and lobbing them at people as they walked underneath (myself included). When I stopped, looking shaken, they laughed at me. 

Then they moved to near the cafe, climbed onto the roof and lobbed a beer bottle, a shoe, and various other things off the roof. One nearly hit a woman sitting there. 

Needless to say they ran off just as I was calling the police. 

Do not show fear - they will take full advantage of that

Little sods.

 

 

[Cancerian]

14 hours ago, Sue said:

Yes, it seemed to have an underlying agenda, and a strange first post.

That's really good that you took photos and gave them to the police.

Hopefully the kids can be identified before they physically hurt someone (or cause further damage or distress).

Why it a strange first post Sue?  We all have to start somewhere! These kids have created a situation where they have been very unpleasant. Surely their physical appearance etc is a key factor in identifying them?  I don’t understand. Are you defending these kids? 

Edited June 24 by Cancerian
Spelling

[alice]

Unless they were wearing school uniform with name tags otherwise children do change their clothes you know. 

[sidebirdz]

bizarre responses from everyone but Cancerian 🤷🏾‍♀️ As an LL resident surely a perfectly normal enquiry in that one might wish to know who to look out for if lawless/feral kids are wreaking havoc? any distinguishing marks on the perpetrators?

presumably the objection is that a physical description might reveal the alleged culprits as non-white? (nothing else makes sense with this bourgeois over-sensitivity). same botched thinking that causes police descriptions of suspects on the loose to omit this info  (top way to protect the public / solve the crime)

FYI i'm a mixed-race female and interested in THE TRUTH. hence, i want to protect myself & my family against criminals. so please DESCRIBE the physical appearance of criminals or suspected criminals to help to keep us safe. thankyou. 

17 hours ago, Sue said:

Yes, it seemed to have an underlying agenda, and a strange first post.

That's really good that you took photos and gave them to the police.

Hopefully the kids can be identified before they physically hurt someone (or cause further damage or distress).

"underlying agenda... strange" 😂😂😂 strange agenda to wish to be safe in my community. well played 🤯

7 minutes ago, sidebirdz said:

bizarre responses from everyone but Cancerian 🤷🏾‍♀️ As an LL resident surely a perfectly normal enquiry in that one might wish to know who to look out for if lawless/feral kids are wreaking havoc? any distinguishing marks on the perpetrators?

presumably the objection is that a physical description might reveal the alleged culprits as non-white? (nothing else makes sense with this bourgeois over-sensitivity). same botched thinking that causes police descriptions of suspects on the loose to omit this info  (top way to protect the public / solve the crime)

FYI i'm a mixed-race female and interested in THE TRUTH. hence, i want to protect myself & my family against criminals. so please DESCRIBE the physical appearance of criminals or suspected criminals to help to keep us safe. thankyou. 

"underlying agenda... strange" 😂😂😂 strange agenda to wish to be safe in my community. well played 🤯

 

working the nightshift here & getting mildly obsessed/infuriated with the peculiar responses. someone please explain how wishing to be able to attempt to identify, physically, the perpetrator(s) of an alleged local assault is "strange", with an "agenda"? God help us. (wait... "God"? must be a far-right religious maniac)

"Unless there were distinctive features such as unusual clothing, how is that going to identify them"... green & purple mohican with accompanying buffalo 🦬 horns through the nose might do it; or simply hairstyle, skin colour, sartorial outfit... 🤔

"and even if it did, what would be the point, without photographic evidence that they had done anything wrong?" eyewitness reports? 😏

 

 

[Sue]

5 hours ago, sidebirdz said:

bizarre responses from everyone but Cancerian 🤷🏾‍♀️ As an LL resident surely a perfectly normal enquiry in that one might wish to know who to look out for if lawless/feral kids are wreaking havoc? any distinguishing marks on the perpetrators?

presumably the objection is that a physical description might reveal the alleged culprits as non-white? (nothing else makes sense with this bourgeois over-sensitivity). same botched thinking that causes police descriptions of suspects on the loose to omit this info  (top way to protect the public / solve the crime)

FYI i'm a mixed-race female and interested in THE TRUTH. hence, i want to protect myself & my family against criminals. so please DESCRIBE the physical appearance of criminals or suspected criminals to help to keep us safe. thankyou. 

"underlying agenda... strange" 😂😂😂 strange agenda to wish to be safe in my community. well played 🤯

 

working the nightshift here & getting mildly obsessed/infuriated with the peculiar responses. someone please explain how wishing to be able to attempt to identify, physically, the perpetrator(s) of an alleged local assault is "strange", with an "agenda"? God help us. (wait... "God"? must be a far-right religious maniac)

"Unless there were distinctive features such as unusual clothing, how is that going to identify them"... green & purple mohican with accompanying buffalo 🦬 horns through the nose might do it; or simply hairstyle, skin colour, sartorial outfit... 🤔

"and even if it did, what would be the point, without photographic evidence that they had done anything wrong?" eyewitness reports? 😏

 

 

As it turned out after my post, the police have photos.

And even if they didn't, the OP reported the incident to the police, who would have asked for a description. 

However there are all sorts of problems with eye witness descriptions, which would just be multiplied with several kids involved.

I stand by my post.

Are you suggesting a full description of these kids should be posted on here so that ... what? 

Vigilante action by forum members?

And if there was mistaken identity? Then what?

Even if there wasn't, there could be all sorts of background issues relating to this sort of anti social behaviour.

It should be left to the police to find and  appropriately deal with  the perpetrators of criminal behaviour.

The police are far from perfect, but the alternative just makes a general slide into lawlessness more likely.

Edited June 25 by Sue

[MCK100]

6 hours ago, sidebirdz said:

bizarre responses from everyone but Cancerian 🤷🏾‍♀️ As an LL resident surely a perfectly normal enquiry in that one might wish to know who to look out for if lawless/feral kids are wreaking havoc? any distinguishing marks on the perpetrators?

presumably the objection is that a physical description might reveal the alleged culprits as non-white? (nothing else makes sense with this bourgeois over-sensitivity). same botched thinking that causes police descriptions of suspects on the loose to omit this info  (top way to protect the public / solve the crime)

FYI i'm a mixed-race female and interested in THE TRUTH. hence, i want to protect myself & my family against criminals. so please DESCRIBE the physical appearance of criminals or suspected criminals to help to keep us safe. thankyou. 

"underlying agenda... strange" 😂😂😂 strange agenda to wish to be safe in my community. well played 🤯

 

working the nightshift here & getting mildly obsessed/infuriated with the peculiar responses. someone please explain how wishing to be able to attempt to identify, physically, the perpetrator(s) of an alleged local assault is "strange", with an "agenda"? God help us. (wait... "God"? must be a far-right religious maniac)

"Unless there were distinctive features such as unusual clothing, how is that going to identify them"... green & purple mohican with accompanying buffalo 🦬 horns through the nose might do it; or simply hairstyle, skin colour, sartorial outfit... 🤔

"and even if it did, what would be the point, without photographic evidence that they had done anything wrong?" eyewitness reports? 😏

 

 

The assault isn't alleged.  

But chances are, if you see a bunch of lanky under 18s, with tracksuits on, faces hidden by masks, lobbing missiles off the roof of the cafe in the park, it's probably the same lot. I'm pretty sure most of them were white, so there was no omission on that front, but I thank you for your generosity in thinking that my bourgeois over-sensitivity would compel me to protect the little scumbags from hurt feelz.

However, if I did provide a detailed description here and if you then thought you'd seen a similar-sounding lot hanging around nearby, I'm not sure how this information would be remotely useful to you. Unless you were planning to confront them and ask them if they were on Peckham Rye last week and then give them a right telling off? 

So it was a strange post. 

[Angelina]

not at all odd to ask for descriptions - why is everyone so sensitive about it?

If you see a group of kids being obnoxious and intimidating, it would help to be able to decide if they like like the group who were previously reported to the police. It might make it easier for people to feel that doing so might be helpful.

[Jenijenjen]

If you see a group of kids being obnoxious and intimidating, makes no difference whether they match a description given out over social media. They should be reported to police whether they're the same group or not.  

This is a case of where social media makes things very complicated.

[Angelina]

be careful not to over-react.

groups of people can generally be intimidating - doesn't mean they are up to anything illegal.

The groups of kids on our nearby estate are very intimidating but are actually just really nice kids with nowhere to hang out. I used to be scared of walking past them until we actually spoke with them

[Sue]

8 minutes ago, Jenijenjen said:

If you see a group of kids being obnoxious and intimidating, makes no difference whether they match a description given out over social media. They should be reported to police whether they're the same group or not.  

This is a case of where social media makes things very complicated.

Yes.

First, the description might be wrong or misremembered.

Second, that description might apply to a number of different individuals or groups, most of whom may be completely innocent of any wrongdoing 

Third, unless you are in a position to help someone being attacked and can do so safely, it is never a good idea to take matters into your own hands, which can just escalate the situation.

[MCK100]

22 minutes ago, Angelina said:

not at all odd to ask for descriptions - why is everyone so sensitive about it?

If you see a group of kids being obnoxious and intimidating, it would help to be able to decide if they like like the group who were previously reported to the police. It might make it easier for people to feel that doing so might be helpful.

I'm not being sensitive, I just don't see the logic of the argument 

If you see a group of kids being obnoxious and intimidating, you're gonna avoid them and call the cops, whether or not they match the description of the original group. 

 

[Angelina]

You have told us you have reported a group of young people to the police for dangerous behaviour. It is sensible to provide a description.

Why would you want to tell us if not so we can be observant and aware of potential danger?

 

[sidebirdz]

On 25/06/2025 at 10:51, MCK100 said:

So it was a strange post. 

As a diminutive (5ft 1) woman who regularly attends the park with her four children - all under 5; two of them (twins) in a push-chair - the thread caught my eye. If there identifiable troublemakers likely to be there I want to know what they look like so I can avoid them. Isn't that "strange" of me, wishing to avoid harm coming to my children?? 😲

I have been discussing the ludicrous responses to this thread 🧵 (which I bet £100 exclusively emanate from bourgeois native Brits) with work colleagues (you would be hard pressed to find a more 'diverse' bunch in terms of age and ethnicity - except we are all female). One colleague (a Ukranian lady) made a perceptive observation that everyone seemed to agree with. When British newspapers and news websites mention an offender (e.g. 'police are asking the general public for assistance in seeking the alleged offender who is a middle-aged male'), she always assumes the offender is not of white British heritage since, if the offender is white this is usually mentioned, but seldom the other way around. Until recently racial prejudice was a thing of the past (unless in the most hardcore of families), now it is creeping back and one important factor is the perception that the indigenous general public are not being treated fairly with this sort of dishonest - some would say activist - reportage. An attitude that clearly informed the bizarre claim that my concerned inquiry was  "strange". Fact is it was anything but strange. What is strange is people denying the evidence of their own eyes and - in this case - casting aspersions on a concerned parent. 

[alice]

You’ve taken the time to write quite a long post explaining why you think as you do. But as I pointed out earlier in the thread most young people look pretty much the same they tend to wear different clothes on different occasions and unless there’s something overwhelmingly stand out about their appearance such descriptions do not help  -  there’s probably about 25,000 teenagers within walking distance of the park. Any description could apply to many of them. The police have the descriptions leave it to them.  I hope you won’t stop going to the park, to reassure yourself go onto the Metropolitan police crime site and you’ll see that Peckham Rye Park is a very safe place to be. 

Edited June 26 by alice
,

[sidebirdz]

22 hours ago, alice said:

You’ve taken the time to write quite a long post explaining why you think as you do. But as I pointed out earlier in the thread most young people look pretty much the same they tend to wear different clothes on different occasions and unless there’s something overwhelmingly stand out about their appearance such descriptions do not help  -  there’s probably about 25,000 teenagers within walking distance of the park. Any description could apply to many of them. The police have the descriptions leave it to them.  I hope you won’t stop going to the park, to reassure yourself go onto the Metropolitan police crime site and you’ll see that Peckham Rye Park is a very safe place to be. 

Thanks 🙏 I appreciate your reply 

[DGM-1986]

This thread has got weird, people asking what the kids look like that are terrorizing people and getting shut down points to one thing 

[DGM-1986]

“Peckham rye is a very safe place to be” was someone not murdered for a phone a few years back, also daily muggings happening at the park if you look outside of you bubble 

[LordshipPain]

5 minutes ago, DGM-1986 said:

“Peckham rye is a very safe place to be” was someone not murdered for a phone a few years back, also daily muggings happening at the park if you look outside of you bubble 

It was around New Year 2023; I had walked my dog past the exact spot late that evening before it happened. There were a lot of cars in Straker's Road that night playing loud music.

On 26/06/2025 at 21:48, alice said:

You’ve taken the time to write quite a long post explaining why you think as you do. But as I pointed out earlier in the thread most young people look pretty much the same they tend to wear different clothes on different occasions and unless there’s something overwhelmingly stand out about their appearance such descriptions do not help  -  there’s probably about 25,000 teenagers within walking distance of the park. Any description could apply to many of them. The police have the descriptions leave it to them.  I hope you won’t stop going to the park, to reassure yourself go onto the Metropolitan police crime site and you’ll see that Peckham Rye Park is a very safe place to be. 

"Roadmen" Alice. We all know who they are but you are daring, through the use of public shaming and ostracism, people to declare something you already know. Tut tut Alice, white boys also affect a Roadman persona.

There was a statistic I read on a council advert at a bus stop in Lambeth, it said "99% of young people in Lambeth have never been in trouble with the police". We all know 99% of the 1% are Roadmen so lets not pretend any further.

[alice]

Your post is confusing. You say I’ve used ‘public shame and ostracism’ that just doesn’t make sense to me. 
Maybe southwark should have a similar poster thanks for referring to it. 

[LordshipPain]

Yes, this thread has got weird.

Edited June 28 by LordshipPain