Hands up who doesn't know where Roehampton is?

Imagine for an instant that you're a Conservative councillor for Roehampton, representing one of the most deprived parts of London.

There are huge problems to tackle: housing, employment, crime, poverty, keeping the estates in something passing for a vaguely acceptable state, traffic and of course the collapse of your plans to demolish Danebury Avenue. Which of these do you start with?

None of the above.

The thing that's keeping Roehampton Conservatives awake at night is a desire to change the name of their ward from "Roehampton" to "Roehampton and Putney Heath". They say that without the name change the residents of Putney Heath - that's less than 300 households - just won't know where they belong.

The Conservatives locally really need to sort out their priorities. This is what happens when one party ends up holding all the seats in an area: they lose touch with reality and lose track of what really matters: good housing, well-maintained streets, decent services and a desire to improve lives. Instead, they think tinkering with the name of one of the most easily identifiable parts of the borough is what passes for leadership locally.

What absurd dilitantes.

A green plaque for William Pitt

I've long been interested in history: it's the subject I studied at university, and a couple of years ago The Wandsworth Borough News published an article I wrote investigating the local dignitaries who are commemorated in our borough.

I republished that article last year for anyone interested.

William Pitt the Younger was one of Britain's longest-serving Prime Ministers. Anyone who thinks Tony Blair or Margaret Thatcher were in power for too long might reflect that Pitt was Prime Minister for 19 years from 1783 (then aged just 24); helped advance the cause of abolition of the slave trade (though it wasn't finally outlawed until just after his death), and presided during the upheaval of the French Revolution, the Napoleonic wars and the Madness of King George III.

The only thing that prevented Pitt from serving even longer than he did was his untimely death, which occurred in Bowling Green Cottage in the middle of Putney Heath.

Pitt, as you would expect, already has an English Heritage blue plaque - but outside his flat at 120 Baker Street, which is stuck almost unnoticeably above a Pret-a-Manger shop. Because only one blue plaque can be issued for each dignitary it isnt possible to situate one in Bowling Green Cottage, more's the pity.

But there's nothing to stop the Council from recognising the historical significance of this house by adding a plaque of its own. Especially given its recently-launched green plaque scheme.

The irony of Labour's parliamentary candidate for Putney championing the commemoration of a Tory Prime Minister isn't lost on me - though I question whether Pitt, like his good friend and fellow parliamentarian William Wilberforce would have been Conservatives today. Party politics aside, I hope that Pitt - as a historically consequential figure - is being actively considered for the next tranche of Wandsworth plaques.

Putney Heath stabbing

Reports are coming in of a stabbing on Putney Heath by the bus terminus opposite the Green Man Pub. Fortunately, it's understood that the victim, in his 20s, is in a stable condition in hospital.

There is very little detail beyond this available at the moment.

UPDATE 1 (9pm Sunday): The Wandsworth Guardian is reporting that two men have been arrested over this stabbing, which is a good result within 12 hours of the incident. This again goes to show that it is not policing and criminal justice that is the problem here because those who commit these crimes are being caught, prosecuted and convicted; but rather stopping youths carrying knives in the first place.

It can't be said often enough: carry a knife and you'll either end up in jail, or dead.

UPDATE 2 (2pm Monday): The Sun has come up with some of the absurd, hysterical sensationalist nonsense reporting that gives tabloids a bad name. In today's paper they quote an anonymous "local" person as saying: "After 10pm its like a war-zone round here."

This is, supposedly, someone's opinion and they have a right to it, but it's a ridiculous, baseless assertion that is completely at odds with the area this crime occurred in. The fact is that Putney is substantially safer than both London AND Wandsworth borough as a whole - and West Putney, where this incident happened, is one of the safest parts of our safe community.

I reported on the latest crime figures for Putney, Roehampton and Southfields here only a couple of days ago. Knife crime is serious enough to grab the headlines in its own right without The Sun attempting to draw parallels between generally peaceful, tranquil and sedate Putney Heath and Chechnya or Columbia.

UPDATE 3 (3pm Tuesday): Two youths, neither of them seemingly from the Putney area, have now been charged with the incident. One has been charged with GBH, the other with assisting an offender.

Crime down across the board in Roehampton

On Tuesday I attended a public meeting organised by Roehampton's Safer Neighbourhood Police Team (SNT). These are regular meetings organised by these Labour-funded Police teams to explain local policing issues and address residents' concerns.

I was delighted - as were the members of the public present - to learn that crime in Roehampton has fallen significantly across the board in the past year. The extent of the fall in crime is particularly impressive, and Sergeant "Rocky" Salmon and his team deserve our praise.

Burglaries are DOWN 12%
Personal robberies are DOWN a whopping 41%
Theft from vehicle is also DOWN 41%
Theft of vehicles is DOWN 15%
Common assaults are DOWN 10%
Wounding offences are DOWN 14%

Overall, crime in Roehampton is DOWN by 19% compared to this time last year.

Sergeant Salmon attributed these successes to intelligence-led policing, whereby police action is often the result of tip offs and information provided by local people. Our SNTs - derided and maligned by local Tories as "not proper" coppers - are making us safer and more secure in our homes and community.

If you wish to report a crime or offer information to the Roehampton SNT call them confidentially on 020 8247 7861 or email them at roehampton.snt@met.police.uk