Portobello Road residents ‘trapped in their homes' by terror curbs
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which oversees the market, has added barriers and implemented traffic restrictions over fears of vehicles being driven into pedestrians enjoying the popular market.
But the restrictions — which ban all cars from the street between 10am and 4pm for either three or seven days a week, depending on the section — have raised concerns among residents that they won't be able to leave or that emergency services, deliveries and taxis will be unable to reach them.
Patrick Somers, a resident of Portobello Mews, said residents only found out about the new restrictions a few days before they were implemented on July 1. He is now leading a legal challenge by residents and traders against the council's decision.
Somers said: 'We absolutely support anti-terror measures. Who wouldn't? We want to protect people. We want to protect ourselves. We want people to visit this lovely area.
'But you've got to balance it, because if you talk to the police or a risk consultant, they'll say, 'don't go out, lock yourselves in and you'll be fine'. But most people can't live that way — and with that approach, the terrorists win as well.'
When a resident called an ambulance for a young child having difficulty breathing, paramedics had to park beyond the barriers and carry their kit in, he alleged, despite the barriers supposedly opening for emergency services.
He said: 'It doesn't matter if you would like to get to the airport or get to the hospital appointment or you have an emergency or whatever. It's banned to all traffic.
'No taxis can come between ten and four o'clock, between three and seven days a week. That has in effect trapped people in their homes.'
The council said it had liaised with emergency services to ensure their vehicles could get through.
Geoff Knowles, an antiques trader on Portobello Road, said the council had advised traders they could arrive before ten and leave after four, but that was not how many operated.
He said: 'Most of the traders that traded on Westbourne Grove normally got there at around 5-6am on a Saturday and then they left maybe one o'clock, two o'clock when they've done their business. So that was a bit of a pain for them.'
Others needed to park near their stalls or go out to resupply during the day, he added. 'You've got to imagine a guy who comes with fruit and veg and he's got five tons of potatoes and carrots. He needs to park his lorry right near his stalls. He can't be dragging a bag of potatoes 300 yards every time he sells out.'
A spokesman for Kensington and Chelsea council said the measures had been implemented after advice from the Metropolitan Police's counterterrorism security adviser. The spokesman said the council had created new blue badge bays and drop-off areas on side streets and that blue badge holders living in the closed sections were able to enter and leave.
He added: 'Our top priority remains the safety and wellbeing of everyone in the community and we believe the current measures strike a reasonable balance between protecting the public and supporting the needs of individuals.
'The temporary anti-terrorism traffic regulation order on Portobello Road was introduced to protect residents, traders and visitors from the potential threat of vehicle attacks during busy trading periods, following advice from counterterrorism police.
'We continue to speak with residents and businesses, addressing concerns case by case to help inform proposals for a permanent scheme.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
23 minutes ago
- The Sun
Housekeeper wins unfair dismissal case against dead employer
A HOUSEKEEPER has won a case for unfair dismissal — against her dead boss. Maridel Baltero was on holiday when fired in a text from pioneering teacher Andrea Greystoke in November 2023. 2 A tribunal heard she was offered four weeks pay as notice after working 30 hours a week for ten years at Mrs Greystoke's London home. Ms Baltero started proceedings in January 2024, but her 78-year-old boss died five months later. The hearing in central London was told that Mrs Greystoke — director and founder of independent Abercorn School — had prepared a response to Ms Baltero's allegations. In it she admitted most of the claims and cited 'personality difficulties'. Employment judge Lydia Watton ruled the sacking unfair. "I bear in mind that [Mrs Greystoke] was an individual acting as employer, and I cannot expect her to have a large HR function at her disposal", Judge Watton said. "However, on the evidence before me she did not carry out any investigation whatsoever, let alone a reasonable one. "[Ms Baltero] was not asked about her performance, nor were the issues discussed with her. "I find that [Mrs Greystoke] could have reasonably been expected to wait longer before dismissing [Ms Baltero], at least until she had some form of consultation or performance management with [her]. "I do not find that dismissal was within the band of reasonable responses. I lost 'everything' when UC stopped my £4.3k-month payment... now I've been sacked from my new job "[Mrs Greystoke] had not made any attempt to find out if there were any reasons for the allegedly poor performance, or to warn [Ms Baltero]." Compensation from Mrs Greystoke's estate will be set later. 2
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
I stayed in a popular hotel before finding a strange man under my bed, I still suffer from PTSD & won't forget his smell
MANY people love to check into a hotel to unwind - but one woman was left horrified after claiming she discovered a strange man under her bed. Natali Khomenk, who lives in Thailand, shared how she had visited Japan on a solo trip in March as she had thought it was a very safe country. 3 3 On the first day, she had checked into her hotel and 'everything was fine' and 'looked legit', and she had accessed her room with a key card that only let her on her floor and in her room. She set off sightseeing the following day, but had the traumatic experience upon her return. In a clip on her @natalisi account, she claimed: 'I came back around 7:30 p.m., unlocked my room like usual, took off my clothes, lay down on the bed, and then I noticed a weird smell. 'At first, I thought it was coming from my hair or the bed sheets, but then I realised it was coming from under the bed. 'Jokingly, I thought, 'What if there's a dead person laying under the bed?' 'But when I leaned over to check, I saw a pair of eyes staring at me. I saw an Asian man under my bed.' Natali said she started to scream and jumped to her feet as the man climbed out from under the bed. He then stared at her for three long seconds, and she added: 'Those seconds felt like my life is over.' Speaking to The Guardian, she described him as 'east Asian, between 20 and 30, slightly overweight, a bowl haircut and black clothes.' She said: 'I began to hyperventilate and froze on the spot, unsure whether he was about to jump on me, choke me or even try to kill me.' Hotel slammed for using endangered red pandas to wake up guests by letting cuddly critters crawl into their beds The man then started the scream and ran out of her room. Natali said she immediately called the hotel administration and the police, and they found a power bank and USB cable under her bed. She kept asking the hotel how the scary situation had happened, but they didn't have any answers for her. Natali continued: 'Even more, they suggested upfront that police won't find the intruder because they had no cameras.' As she was understandably feeling scared and unsafe, she moved to another hotel and demanded a full refund the following day. However, she claims the hotel didn't contact her or send an email with the incident report. She then reached out to Agoda, who she had booked the hotel through, and they offered her $178 (£133) in coupons, which she felt was 'ridiculous', given she had paid $600 (£450) for three nights. After contacting the hotel directly once more, they finally agreed to refund the payment, but said the police hadn't been able to identify the man. She continued: 'The next days of my trip were a nightmare. I couldn't sleep. I was constantly on edge, checking every corner of my room.' EMOTIONAL COMPENSATION Natali eventually wrote to the hotel demanding 'compensation for emotional damage', and asked for $1,600 (£1,200). However, she claims they declined giving her the money as it 'wasn't in their policy.' Now, she's been left wondering how someone could get into her room and that they knew she was alone there. She added to the Guardian: 'I eventually returned to my home in Thailand struggling with anxiety and PTSD. 'I have found it difficult to stay informed about what's happening with my case, and worry that nothing will come of it. But I haven't given up – I'm exploring options so that it can be properly investigated. "Sadly, though, I've also had men write to me, claiming it's my fault or that I just want to denigrate Japan. 'I used to think I was invincible, and that there was more good in this world than bad. Now I'm not so sure.'
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Police warn of mass arrests if Palestine Action protest goes ahead
The controversy over the ban applied to Palestine Action deepened on Monday, with police warning of mass detentions if a demonstration goes ahead this weekend that could see more than 1,000 people carrying placards and posters expressing support for the group. The Metropolitan police made clear it would arrest anyone breaking terrorism laws, as Downing Street urged people not to attend any protest. But in a further challenge to the decision to proscribe Palestine Action, 300 left-leaning Jewish figures including the director Mike Leigh and author Michael Rosen will tell the prime minister in a letter on Tuesday that the ban was 'illegitimate and unethical'. Campaigners from the pressure group Defend Our Juries plan to descend upon Westminster in central London on Saturday carrying placards and posters expressing support for the group. They are protesting against Yvette Cooper's decision to ban the organisation last month after activists caused an estimated £7m of damage to jets at RAF Brize Norton. Defend Our Juries is asking those taking part to hold up signs saying 'I Oppose Genocide, I Support Palestine Action'. More than 200 people have already been arrested in response to the proscription last month. A Met police spokesperson said the organisers of Saturday's planned protest are attempting to put the overcrowded criminal justice system under further pressure. 'We are aware that the organisers of Saturday's planned protest are encouraging hundreds of people to turn out with the intention of placing a strain on the police and the wider criminal justice system,' they said. 'The Met is very experienced in dealing with large-scale protests, including where the protest activity crosses into criminality requiring arrests. Our officers will continue to apply the law in relation to Palestine Action as we have done since its proscription. Anyone showing support for the group can expect to be arrested.' Starmer's official spokesperson urged people not to attend. 'Any action that is in support of a proscribed group in the UK, of course we do not support and the court has confirmed their continued proscription status,' they said. 'The home secretary previously said that those who seek to support this group may yet not know the true nature of this organisation, but people should be under no illusion this is not a peaceful or non-violent protest group.' Sadiq Khan, who was vocal in urging Starmer to recognise a Palestinian state, declined to weigh in. A spokesperson for the mayor of London said: 'The policing of Saturday's planned protest by Defend Our Juries is an operational decision for the Metropolitan police.' On Tuesday, a delegation organised by Jewish Voice for Labour will deliver a letter signed by 300 Jewish figures to No 10 and Cooper urging a lifting of the ban on the group. Also signed by the human rights lawyer Geoffrey Bindman KC and the playwright Gillian Slovo, it will express 'horror' at the actions of Israel. The letter will say: 'We consider the proscription of Palestine Action to be illegitimate and unethical. It is time to end the government's hand-wringing over the level of slaughter and suffering in Gaza and the West Bank, mixed with tacit support to the Israeli state. The Met is sceptical of claims that thousands of people could turn up on Saturday. The force believes that a total in the low hundreds is more likely. Anyone arrested risks a terrorism conviction. At other events that led to mass arrests, the Met has arrested people, confirmed their identities and home addresses, and then quickly released them on bail so they could be dealt with later. Police resources will be stretched at the weekend as a large, separate pro-Palestinian march is also scheduled for Saturday and anti-immigration protests are expected. A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries denied any plot to overwhelm the police and the courts system, as reported in the Telegraph on Monday. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The campaign was not organised by Palestine Action, the spokesperson said, adding that a briefing document was available openly on the Defend Our Juries website. 'It's great the Telegraph is helping us to spread the word but there are serious inaccuracies in their story. We are not the ones planning to 'overwhelm' the system,' they said. 'If the Met exercises common sense and discretion and upholds its obligation to uphold the right of people to exercise their rights then nothing is being overwhelmed. 'It is a difficult position for Sir Mark Rowley [the Metropolitan police commissioner] to be in. Based on what has happened on previous occasions it would be surprising if no one is arrested but on the other [hand] everyone is going to be doing the same thing and it will be a challenge to arrest more than 500 people given that we think there are about 520 available police cells in London at any one time.' They believed Rowley would be factoring in last week's high court ruling giving permission to the co-founder of Palestine Action to bring a legal challenge to the home secretary's decision to ban the group. Other forces exercised discretion not to arrest people at similar protests in Derry, Edinburgh and elsewhere, they added. The protests would take place regularly in future, they said, adding that it was becoming 'a badge of honour' to be arrested. Defend Our Juries has held discussions with MPs about taking part but there was a reluctance on the basis of concerns it could lead to suspension from parliament. About 40 pro-Palestine protesters gathered outside the Labour party headquarters on Monday evening. Campaigners held Palestine flags and chanted 'Shame on Keir Starmer, shame on the Labour party, shame on David Lammy' while banging steel pot lids outside the office in Southwark, London. One sign displayed by the group read 'We support the legal application to de-proscribe Palestine Action. Fight racism. Fight imperialism.' A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: 'The criminal justice system will always be ready to deal with sudden surges coming through the courts.' The Home Office did not respond to questions about the planned protest.
