By Julia Johnson
Gangs clashed as court closures in Enfield, Tottenham and Camden caused rival tempers to spike at Highbury Corner Magistrates on Monday 4th March.
An outburst of violence between two gangs outside the court led to police being called to the scene and the area being cordoned off.
Solicitor Nicholas Rosenfeld said, “It was frightening to watch and we can look forward to this happening more and more, as more courts close.”
The court closures come as lack of funding to the judiciary and court services mean amenities are being forced to be stretched.
Feuds continued into this week on Monday in Youth Courts 10 and 11. Police and the courts’ own security personnel had to step in as infamous ‘postcode wars’ fired up at the Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court.
Femi Waheed, a security guard at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court, said: “Unless something is done, this problem is only going to escalate.”
In February 2016 the Government announced the closures of 86 courts following a consultation period. This closure caused cases to be heard at the remaining courts and has meant that rival gangs differing postcodes have had contact they would not usually have had.
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