Battersea estate is 'honeypot' for users all over south-east

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Welcoming the move, they nevertheless said that the area's real problems were the hard-drugs dealers and crack cocaine addicts, some of whom travel from Essex and Sussex to buy.

The Winstanley and York Road estates have become a "honeypot" for users because they are so near Clapham Junction station, they said.

David Deruyter, 42, an aircraft engineer, said: "I think a zero tolerance zone might work if it can get to the young ones and get their parents involved. But a lot of the older dealers will just be oblivious and carry on regardless.

"It's down to the courts to get tough."

John Fry, 52, a retired publican, said: "They just walk down the street smoking it. A no-go zone will just drive the dealing back on to mobile phones. They will go round to someone's flat to buy it or get it delivered. It will be as easy as ordering a pizza."

Residents said dealers tell customers to wait in CCTV blackspots while the "goods" are retrieved from gardens and bushes.

But what has shocked people is how blatant the trade in cannabis, crack cocaine and heroin has become. Children as young as 10 act as runners, with one dealer selling from a high-powered motorbike. One 14-year-old girl, too frightened to give her name, said: "Lots of people smoke a bit of weed and two of my mates sell skunk, which I think is fine. The crack dealers are scary though."

Hassan, 13, said: "If you don't cross the dealers, they don't hurt you. These people aren't scared of the police but I think having a zero tolerance zone will make our community safer."

Marlene Price, 61, chairwoman of Latchmere Safer Neighbourhoods Team, said: "The number one concern is to completely stamp out drug dealing and I know this zero tolerance zone will be a deterrent. It is important that people selling and buying drugs know if they come here they will be arrested."

A 55-year-old former chef, who asked not to be named, said: "It's horrible here and I just hope to God that this zone works, it's really a final chance for us."