As flowers and tributes lay on the street where Tyler Hayward, 26, was fatally stabbed, locals share their fears and concerns over ‘rising crime’ in Chingford Mount
By Leila Davaud
Dozens of flower bouquets lay at the foot of a tree in Chingford Mount Road in a scene that is as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking.
This improvised memorial has been set up for Tyler Hayward, 26, who was on his way to meet friends when he lost his life on Sunday 6th July.
Among the flowers, one note stands out: “A great loss for our community. His smile, his care.” Passersby pause to read those few words, shaking their heads. “What is happening around here?” murmurs one onlooker, letting out a sigh before crossing the street to enter The King’s Ford Wetherspoons pub.
When Tyler was fatally stabbed in the heart in the evening of 6th July, staff from the pub rushed out to assist him with a defibrillator before emergency services arrived.
Peshman Ahmedi, 22, was arrested 48 hours later while aboard a ferry departing Dover for Calais. Ahmedi has since been charged with murder and will face a plea hearing on 29th September.
It’s a quiet Tuesday lunchtime in The King’s Ford when the Echo visits. Several tables are occupied, and the atmosphere is subdued. It grows even quieter when the subject of Tyler’s death is brought up. Some, perhaps still processing the incident, decline to comment.
Mary Clark, having her usual weekly lunch with a friend, offers a short reflection: “He was too young. It was too violent. What happened is tragic… Even if we didn’t know him, we feel the loss.”
A few tables over, Jacky and Terry are reading newspapers over a pair of cocktails. Asked about the local community’s reaction to Tyler’s death, the couple exchange a look before Jacky responds: “We’ve seen horrifying gossip on social media. It’s a frenzy out there. What’s even more disturbing is how people are describing Chingford, as if this tragedy defines the whole area. It doesn’t.”
As Jacky mentioned, criticism of Chingford’s safety has intensified online and in some local conversations. A recent poll on a community Facebook page saw hundreds of residents say that the biggest issue facing E4 was its “rising crime”.
Chingford Mount Square was repeatedly singled out as a key hotspot of gang crime in the poll. One resident wrote: “Crime is getting worse by the day”, while another stated: “Lived here since 1978, the crime level is unacceptable and the drugs.”
At the library further down the street, Marie, a volunteer in her eighties, offers a more balanced outlook: “The community’s changed a lot. People are more individualistic now, it’s sad to see. But I wouldn’t say I feel unsafe. I do realise I’m vulnerable because of my age, and I’m more careful in the evening with all the commotion around the square. But it’s not catastrophic, is it?”
Peter Hall, who is about to hop on a bus, tells the Echo he has lived in Chingford his entire life. “It’s not the same,” he says, adding: “It’s gotten worse the last few years. I love the pubs, I used to go in the evening just to unwind. But I’ve had to change my habits. I don’t feel comfortable anymore. The square’s seen more violence lately, and somehow there are fewer patrols.”
Asked about what is needed to stem the crime rate, he suggests more local coppers on the beat. “Some pubs have security, sure… but we need local police on foot. Just being present, maybe [that would] prevent things like [the stabbing].”
Later in the morning, Elif, a teacher, shares her concerns as she sips her coffee at a nearby café. “I moved here five years ago from Epping and I’m already planning to move again”, she says.
“I have a 13-year-old daughter, and I’m genuinely scared as a mother. What convinced me to stay so far is the real community which acts during the day and tries its best to erase what happens at night.”
That same community has paid its respect by participating financially. The fund for Tyler’s funeral has already exceeded £11,000, a testament to his character and the impact of his passing.
Tyler’s father Matthew paid tribute to his “humble” son in a post promoting the funeral fund.
Stating that the loss of Tyler had created a “heartbreaking void” in his family’s lives, he wrote: “He wasn’t part of any gang, just a young man with a future he was looking forward to, and a beautiful, caring soul who touched everyone he met.”
In a further heartfelt post on Facebook, his mother Maria wrote: “I don’t understand how anyone can stand this kind of pain. It’s the worst feeling I’ve ever known. But I would do it over and over again to have these moments with you. My son. My heart. My world. Your mum forever.’”
Additional reporting by Marco Marcelline
You can donate to Tyler’s funeral fund here
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