I know the recent violent protests in other parts of the UK have been a great source of worry for our residents and local businesses this week. My thanks to residents, businesses, faith and community leaders for remaining calm and resilient during this period.

As I said in my statement, violence, vandalism, and intimidation have no place in our borough. This is not representative of the Croydon that we know and love.

The fear of potential violent protests was compounded by rumours and misinformation spread online and on social media, which caused unnecessary worry in our communities. We have been working closely with Croydon Police to make sure we are providing information based on the latest local intelligence and will continue to provide updates from our credible sources.

You may be aware that a group of people did gather in West Croydon on Wednesday in response to rumours of riots, which did not materialise. Sadly, a small minority chose to assault Police Officers and commit acts of vandalism. This was not part of a protest. The Police made arrests for assault, possession of offensive weapons, and other offences. We will not tolerate any anti-social behaviour and I want to thank the Police for keeping our borough safe. Thank you also to Council staff, contractors, residents and traders involved in cleaning up in West Croydon so it could reopen for business.

There will continue to be an increased Police presence to ensure our communities are safe. Please continue to report any suspicious behaviour to the police.

Last week, I co-hosted an event with Howard Dawber, Deputy Mayor of London for Business and Growth, which marked the launch of engagement on London’s Growth Plan. Nearly 400 businesses, partners, and organisations participated in this online session, emphasising the importance of a collaborative, cross-party approach to shaping the future of our city. As the Executive Mayor of Croydon and the Economic lead for London Councils, I believe it’s time to unite for the benefit of all Londoners — residents and businesses alike.

As part of the regeneration of our town centre, this week the Greater London Authority (GLA) confirmed that Croydon was successful in our bid for funding to regenerate and revitalise our historic Surrey Street market area. We are delighted and look forward to working with market traders, residents and community groups on this project.

I’m also pleased to announce that I will be a keynote speaker at the Develop Croydon Conference on 26 November. Croydon is filled with untapped opportunities. By working together, we can attract new investments, restore pride, and foster a vibrant community in our borough.

I had the honour of speaking at the Croydon BME Forum Annual General Meeting this week. They have been tirelessly championing the needs and amplifying the voices of our diverse communities for the past 20 years. They are making great strides in dealing with health inequalities and regularly work with the Asian Resource Centre Croydon. By working together we can overcome any challenge.

It was great to meet members of Sanderstead Village Women’s Institute at Sanderstead Recreation Ground. They requested a table tennis table for the much-loved green space and fortunately the Council, supported by Cllr Yvette Hopley, was able to oblige thanks to our parks team reconditioning a table.

On another sporting note, huge congratulations to all of Croydon’s Olympic heroes who have taken part over the last two weeks – making our borough very proud. We look forward to seeing more local heroes in the Paralympics, which starts on 28 August.

Have a good weekend.

Jason Perry

Executive Mayor of Croydon