An Ealing Resident has said that her attempts to report a crime have fallen on death ears after a spate of cars being keyed. 

Colette Green contacted Ealing Nub News on Friday 17th March after several cars were keyed over the course of two days on Gloucester Road in South Ealing on the 9th March. 

Despite attempting to contact the police via the online form that same day, the process was difficult and has produced no signs of a follow-up in the 12 intervening days. 

Green said: "On the Monday morning of the 7th March, one of my neighbours on our WhatsApp group said the cars have been keyed.  

"I went out and checked ours and it wasn't but then the next day, she came and knocked at my door and said your car has now been keyed.  

There were several cars keyed on Gloucester Road. Photo: Colette Green.

"Another neighbour said that I've had that done, and I've done an online report to the police, so I decided that it would be a good thing to do decided to do the same. 

"You go on the system and then it says, "Do you want to report a crime?" And then you follow all the links for that.  

"Then you put in what the crime was and then it says you, we might ask you to send this evidence at some future date, but not now.  

"After you fill it all in, it gets sent off to them and then a day or so later, I got this email saying we've got your email, but you needed a crime reference number, despite the fact you were just trying to report the crime. 

"I was then sent an email that said the crime didn't relate to a crime reference number and we will contact you if we're not going to give you one in 48 hours, but that was on the 9th March. 

"Another of my neighbours said that they did get a crime reference number, but they closed the case as there was no evidence, despite not asking for it and another neighbour had the same problem as me. 

"I went back into the feedback survey and complained, but it was just a dead end." 

After getting in touch with her local councillor, Paul Driscoll, he has been able to put her in touch with an email address for Northfields cops, but the Met's own system has been found wanting. 

Green said: "I emailed my councillor Paul Driscoll and he said to contact the Northfields ward cops, but there wasn't an online form for that, it was just an email address. 

"I don't think I personally could have found that email address as it is an avenue that I wouldn't have known about. 

"I want a crime reference number and an acknowledgement of the crime, because this person has done this road and I don't want anyone else to be impacted by it. 

"I saw on Northfields Avenue that someone had had their car's rear window bashed in and had stuff taken out of the back of it. 

"It is just small things like this that become bigger things and I want to avoid that."