Millard Terrace, Dagenham crime leaves mum 'living in fear'

Bianca Green, who lives in Millard Terrace, has said she is "living in fear" - and her children are "absolutely petrified" - after repeated break-ins, vandalism and drug using in their flat block.

She told this paper that lifts and doors are constantly broken at the block and that her and other residents are having to clean "human urine and excrement" off the stairwells and landings "daily".

Although Bianca said there has "always" been a problem with anti-social behaviour in Millard Terrace, she believes the issues have worsened in recent years. 

Residents are having to clean the estate's stairwells daily, says Bianca (Image: Bianca Green)

She said: "I've lived here for around 14 to 15 years and I've never felt this unsafe in my entire life.

"I never could have imagined I'd be raising my kids in a place like this.

"It honestly wasn't ever this bad all those years back.

"We didn't fear anything back then - now my front door is like Fort Knox."

Millard Terrace sits above Heathway Shopping Centre and is formed of a six-storey block, a three-storey block and a deck level.

Bianca and her children have to pass drug users on the landings (Image: Bianca Green)

Bianca told this paper that the six-storey block is often the target for crime, but that she feels the estate as a whole gets "ignored" because people forget they are above the shopping centre.

The council bought Heathway Shopping Centre in 2020 as part of a Dagenham Heathway redevelopment bid, receiving £10.8 million for the project in January 2023 from the government's Levelling Up fund.

However, since this investment was secured, the issues at the estate have "gotten worse", according to Bianca.

The mum said Millard Terrace's hallways are littered with needles and human excrement (Image: Bianca Green)

The mum-of-two said: "We are left to rot while they decide if they can actually afford to redevelop Millard Terrace.

"I'm scared, my children are absolutely petrified.

"We can't leave our home without fearing who's on our landing, who's going to be outside our door or who we will bump into in the lifts."

Her children - aged two and seven - are scared of leaving the flat, still have nightmares after a break-in more than a year ago and have to walk past "so many needles" on the way to the lifts.

Bianca told this paper that her daughter Olivia, seven, has even had to deal with a drug user "shouting abuse" at her when they were both walking home across their balcony.

Marnih Roberts, another mum who lives in Millard Terrace, said her daughter will not leave the house to go to the shops with her because of "aggressive" behaviour from "boys in balaclavas" - who try to get her to buy drugs from them.

She said: "Living in the block is hard enough, while even trying to walk out peacefully is too.

"I’m fearful even more so now it is winter, it gets really dark and scary up here."

Police carried out three warrants on October 9 to tackle drug dealing and crime in the area (Image: Bianca Green)

Police targeted drug using and dealing during a series of raids on October 9, seizing a quantity of Class A drugs and arresting seven people for possession with intent to supply and handling stolen goods. 

Following this, a partial Closure Order was put in place at an address in Millard Terrace, which limits the access to a property to only the tenant.

Inspector Ian Handley for Barking & Dagenham Safer Neighbourhoods said: "We are in the process of applying for a full Closure Order on another residence. 

"This day was part of a wider initiative to make long term changes at the block. 

"We are working with the local authority, the business community and the public to fight crime and make the area safer."

The lifts are frequently out of use, Bianca says (Image: Bianca Green)

Barking and Dagenham Council has also been conducting joint patrols with the police and say it is taking the issues at Millard Terrace "very seriously".

A spokesperson for the council told this paper that CCTV coverage is being expanded across the estate to "deter criminal activities" and that new equipment and services to deep clean the stairwells are being "explored".

READ MORE: Dagenham estate sees 'crime improvement' after closure order

They said: "Further improvements will include redecoration of the stairwells, the launch of a designated online hub specifically for Millard Terrace residents and more community open days where residents and council officers come together to make improvements."

But Bianca believes that "nothing has really changed".

Police during a visit to Millard Terrace (Image: Bianca Green)

She said: "The council have not actually put anything in place that we're aware of."

Insp Handley urged anyone with information to come forward and talk to the police about problems at Millard Terrace. 

They can contact local officers on email via Village.SNT@met.police.uk, visit www.met.police or call 101 to report a crime, or provide information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.