Curb police car speeds

Published: 16 July, 2010

• I LIVE in a street near Highbury Park which is probably one of the most dangerous stretches of road for pedestrians in London.

Using the zebra crossing at the junction of Riversdale Road and Highbury Park is the equivalent of playing Russian road roulette, in particular because of police cars zooming along the road, crowded as it is with children and mothers, as if they were in a scene from Miami Vice or Goodfellas or, well, you name your favourite car chase film or programme.

I’ve even noticed that sometimes police cars will come whizzing down Highbury Park like bats out of hell, sirens blaring and lights flashing maniacally, then turn right down Riversdale Road, suddenly slow down, switch their lights and siren off, then gently go into the back of what used to be Blackstock Road police station.

And this is happening day and night.

I’ve stayed in chaotic cities all over the world and never had to endure such an unholy racket of sirens and police cars as in Highbury and Islington.

What’s going on? And as Chris Bulford (Why send 20 police officers to deal with bus cheats? July 9) said, don’t get me started on the use of police helicopters at night.

It’s about time the council put some traffic-calming measures into the only road that poses any real speed threat around here – Blackstock Road, Highbury Park, Highbury Grove – and stopped coppers from playing Starsky and Hutch.

JAMES SLATTERY
Legard Road, N5