Children at City Hall

CHILDREN from Rotherhithe marched to City Hall to present Boris Johnson with letters they hope will save their favourite playground from being turned into a ‘super-sewer’.

Children from St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School descended on the Mayor’s offices to protest at plans to use King Stair’s Gardens as one of Thames Water’s super sewer locations.

The march managed to go ahead despite banners and placards being stolen from the gardens overnight.

Campaigner Roger Bilder said: “The children were brilliant and asked question after question to Thames Water people who were there. The wanted to know what the smell would be like, about the noise and how their baby brother would be able to sleep.”

Letters and pictures were given to Assembly Member Valerie Shawcross who promised to deliver them to Boris.

The children sung “Brown not Green” during the march and told Phil Stride, head of Thames Water’s Tideway Tunnel project he should be looking for a brownfield site for the tunnelling works, rather than destroying their local park and playground.

The consultation into the sewer is open until January 14. Thames Water has said it is still in consultation over the proposals it will listen to the view of local residents.

see www.thamestunnelconsultation.co.uk.