We live on street made famous by Hollywood films & TV shows – but we're trapped in our homes due to thoughtless council
Portobello Road in West London is also well-known thanks to its markets which attracts visitors from far afield all year round.
4
4
Locals in the area say though that they feel 'trapped in their homes' due to the terror curbs that have been implemented.
It comes after the road underwent significant renovation which saw a number of improvements made to the area.
A legal challenge is being launched by residents and traders over the anti-terrorism measures which prevent vehicles from gaining access during the day.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which oversees the market, erected barriers and implemented traffic restrictions due to fears of vehicles being driven into pedestrians.
The vehicle ban is in operation between 10am and 4pm for either three or seven days a week, depending on the section, and this has given rise to concerns by residents that they won't be able to leave or that emergency services, deliveries or taxis won't be able to reach them.
Patrick Somers, who lives in Portobello Mews, said residents only found out about the restrictions just a few days before they were implemented on July 1.
Mr Somers is now leading a legal challenge by residents and local traders against the council's decision.
He told The Times: '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.'
Our famous London road will go through a big change... we're overrun by tourists and need help but we like it how it is
Although the barriers are meant to open for emergency services, Mr Somers alleged that when a resident called for an ambulance for a young child who was having difficulty breathing, paramedics had to park beyond the barriers and carry their kit in.
He added: '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 has said it had consulted with emergency services to ensure their vehicles could get through.
Antiques dealer Geoff Knowles told the paper the council had advised traders they could arrive before 10am and leave after 4pm, but he added that was not how many traders operated.
He said that the majority of traders that operated on Westbourne Grove usually got there at around 5-6am on a Saturday and then normally left about 1-2pm, making the new restrictions 'a bit of a pain'.
He added that some traders needed to park near their stalls or had to go out to restock during the day.
Mr Knowles said that a fruit and veg stall holder would maybe turn up with tons of potatoes and carrots and would need to park near his stall; they wouldn't be able to drag a sack of potatoes 300 yards every time he sold out of them.
A Kensington and Chelsea council spokesperson said the measures had been implemented following advice from the Metropolitan Police's counterterrorism security adviser.
They added the council had set up new blue badge bays and drop-off areas along the side streets and that blue badge holders in the closed sections could enter and leave.
The spokesperson said: '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 counter-terrorism police.
'We continue to speak with residents and businesses, addressing concerns case by case to help inform proposals for a permanent scheme.'
4
4
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Bombshell new Lucy Letby papers and astonishing 'revenge' claim revealed: How the nurse repeatedly raised alarm over doctors' blunders in baby unit... Now her team say she became a target
Lucy Letby repeatedly raised the alarm about the poor care of babies in the hospital where she worked, according to bombshell documents obtained by The Mail on Sunday. The case against the former nurse, who was convicted of the murder of seven newborns and the attempted murder of seven more at the Countess of Chester Hospital, has come under intense scrutiny after experts called into question key planks of the prosecution.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Police chief mocked for telling store owners to call 999 if they see a shoplifter - because 'officers don't show up'
A police boss was branded 'out of touch' for telling shopkeepers to report thieves – because officers often fail to show up. Jon Cummins, the Assistant Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police, advised store owners to dial 999 rather than tackle the offenders themselves. But officers regularly do not attend the scene and instead tell victims to file a report online. These are usually ignored, leaving shopkeepers defenceless to crime. Mr Cummins told the BBC: 'If they see someone shoplifting, my advice to them is they must call us. If they see it, they should immediately call us on 999 and not intervene.' His comments clashed with those of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex, who said that there is no real purpose behind arresting shoplifters as the courts just set them free. Katy Bourne told The Daily Telegraph: 'There is no point arresting shoplifters if there is no effective deterrent.' The lack of clarity from police over how to tackle shoplifting has left many shop owners in despair. Samantha Baker, 31, who owns the gift shop Refine & Design in Yeovil, Somerset, told The Mail on Sunday Mr Cummins 'does not know how bad it is'. She said: 'If you call the police, they are not turning up. It is shocking. I pay my taxes for the police to do their jobs, and they won't.' Grocer who REALLY shames thieves A grocery store boss is shaming suspected shoplifters by posting their CCTV mugshots in his shop window and on social media alongside scathing comments. Suki Athwal, co-owner of Shop Around The Clock in Tenterden, Kent, posted one image of a man who fled the shop after allegedly stealing two crates of Stella Artois, a pizza and a Pukka pie. Mr Athwal, 30, said he found the man at a bus stop but was threatened when he demanded payment. Alongside his Facebook post, he wrote: 'I should be upset about this but the realisation that I'm not needing to drink a lukewarm can of Stella at 8.45am while waiting for a bus made me realise life isn't so bad for me.' Mr Athwal has been asked to take down mugshots due to the 2018 Data Protection Act. But he told The Times he still displays them occasionally as 'a reminder that we're watching'. The row over shoplifting intensified last week when Labour's policing minister Dame Diana Johnson was accused of 'victim blaming' by asking shopkeepers to conceal high-value goods. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: 'The policing minister's comments were staggering. 'She is saying that law-abiding shopkeepers should have to cover for the explosion of shoplifting which she is presiding over.' Dame Diana's views contrasted with those of Matthew Barber, the Police and Commissioner for Thames Valley, who called on the public to step in when they see a crime. Last night, he said: 'It is disappointing the policing minister of all people does not see the importance of a strong community in preventing crime. 'We have a long tradition of policing by consent in this country. That means the police upholding the law and common values that spring from the community. 'The public should feel empowered to report crimes they see in front of them and be able to call out criminal behaviour knowing the police and courts are on their side.' He was joined by Tim Passmore, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk, who said: 'I cannot understand the ambivalent attitude that some forces seem to take, as it does nothing to improve confidence in policing.' A grocery store boss is shaming suspected shoplifters by posting their CCTV mugshots in his shop window and on social media alongside scathing comments. Suki Athwal, co-owner of Shop Around The Clock in Tenterden, Kent, posted one image of a man who fled the shop after allegedly stealing two crates of Stella Artois, a pizza and a Pukka pie. Mr Athwal, 30, said he found the man at a bus stop but was threatened when he demanded payment. Alongside his Facebook post, he wrote: 'I should be upset about this but the realisation that I'm not needing to drink a lukewarm can of Stella at 8.45am while waiting for a bus made me realise life isn't so bad for me.' Mr Athwal has been asked to take down mugshots due to the 2018 Data Protection Act. But he told The Times he still displays them occasionally as 'a reminder that we're watching'.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Shoreham Airshow disaster pilot blamed for the death of 11 people STILL won't apologise 10 years after fatal crash
A pilot blamed for the deaths of 11 people in the Shoreham Airshow disaster has refused to apologise nearly ten years on from the event. Ex-RAF airman Andy Hill, 60, has spent the last decade trying to regain his pilot licence after the Civil Aviation Authority revoked it. And despite a coroner blaming his flying for the crash that saw his jet explode in a fireball on the A27 in West Sussex in August 2015, Mr Hill has declined to say sorry. A spokesperson for him told The Mirror: 'Mr Hill does not want to make any public statement about the tragic events of Shoreham.' The former British Airways captain was cleared of manslaughter by gross negligence following a trial at the Old Bailey in 2019. But at an inquest in 2022, senior coroner Penelope Schofield said Mr Hill's plane crashed as 'a result of the manner in which it was flown'. Anthony Mallinson, whose father James Graham Mallinson, 72, was killed in the disaster, called for the pilot to 'acknowledge' the grieving families. He said: 'Hill hasn't let anything drop and so there hasn't really been that sort of time frame where you could say we've had three months grace where we have had time to grieve properly. 'I think I think in the ten years since, it's been all about him. It would be very nice for him to acknowledge us properly.' Earlier this year, Mr Hill's final attempt to regain his pilot licence through a legal challenge was refused at the High Court. He had lodged a Judicial Review just months after he lost an appeal following a two-day hearing in London in October last year. The decision to challenge the ruling was heavily criticised by families who lost loved ones in the Shoreham Airshow disaster. Caroline Schilt, 64, whose 23-year-old son Jacob died, said: 'Whether he is aware that his late challenges cause the families the ultimate pain as he prolongs the legal process cannot be proved. 'However, it certainly feels like a personal vendetta. Hill has never accepted any form of responsibility for killing 11 men as a result of his diabolical flying. 'He has never shown any remorse and we don't believe he ever will.' Jacob had been on his way to play an away football match when Hill's 1950s aircraft smashed into the A27 while he performed in the Shoreham airshow. He was sitting next to his Matt Grimstone, who was also killed, as they drove themselves to play for Worthing Utd. Mr Hill's lawyers previously argued the Civil Aviation Authority took the decision to stop him flying based on public reaction to the 2015 tragedy. The former British Airways captain suffered serious injuries in the crash and nearly died at the side of the road. The CAA previously said: 'Following a public hearing on a challenge by Andrew Hill to a UK Civil Aviation Authority proposal to revoke his pilot and flight radio telephony licences, the Civil Aviation Authority's decision panel has confirmed that proposal and Andrew Hill's licences will now formally be revoked. 'Following the crash at the Shoreham Airshow in 2015 in which 11 people died, Andrew Hill's licences were suspended, and he has been unable to fly in the UK since then. 'The thoughts of everyone at the UK Civil Aviation Authority remain with those affected by the tragic crash.'
