Police ask Nightingales estate residents to complete survey following months of mayhem

Following months of bloody mayhem and intimidation on a housing estate, residents have been invited to complete a police survey on antisocial behaviour.

The Newbury neighbourhood policing team have launched it in a bid to find out Nightingales residents’ views on living in the area.

In February a Section 60 order, giving police enhanced powers, was put in place to combat organised gang crime on the estate.

Insp Matt Gow, based at Newbury police station, said at the time: “We have put this Section 60 order in place in a specific area of Newbury to prevent potential violence around a county drugs line.”

In June, Reading Crown Court heard how a drug dealer had slashed at a woman’s exposed throat amid weeks of drug-fuelled mob violence on the Nightingales.

The victim only escaped potential decapitation because, the court heard, another, balaclava-clad attacker happened to pull her head back – exposing her neck, but narrowly causing the blade to miss.

The court was told how a masked mob had descended, throwing paving slabs, yelling threats and smashing windows.

During the summer feud, the offender himself himself spent days in a coma after having his head stoved in with a baseball bat.

Then, too, police imposed an emergency Section 60 order, giving them enhanced powers to keep order.

Meanwhile Jake Bozarth and Jake Blandford were locked up for intimidating a witness to a crime on the estate.

And in July, Reading Crown Court heard how two masked men wielding weapons had smashed their way into a home on the estate and violently robbed the occupant.

The bloodied victim handed over £1,000, Reading Crown Court was told.

Stephen Chandler, aged 50, and Anthony Abery, aged 44, who were both living at the Two Saints hostel in Newtown Road, Newbury, were remanded in custody while pre-sentence reports are prepared.

The police survey contains six questions asking people for their experiences when any incidents have taken place and if they feel safe in the area.

There is also an opportunity to confidentially raise any general concerns people may have.

The police say this will help their local partnership working group have a better understanding of what is happening in the area and identify places to focus on.

The survey can be found at bit.ly/NightingalesSurvey.

Responses should be submitted by Thursday, August 29.