Some teenagers worry about walking home

Postcode gangs

Inside Out London's David Akinsanya travels through different territorial boundaries to explore the postcodes of Hackney.

He talks to the teenagers who live in the area and looks at some of the projects helping to reduce fear of crime.

David also visits a local radio station which is trying to get young people talking about postcode allegiances and crime in their neighbourhood.

No-go areas?

For most of us postcodes mean nothing more than a bunch of numbers that indicate where we are or where we want to go.

But to a new generation of Londoners postcodes have literally become danger-zones, marking out no-go-areas.

David Akinsanya talks to a teenager attacked by a postcode gang

Inside Out London heads to the territories of Hackney and speaks with those kids who are protecting themselves by staying in their own homes.

For them crossing a street means they could encounter danger from E5 gangs.

It can sometimes mean that a simple bus ride can become complicated, with teenagers skirting perceived danger by passing through many different postcodes.

While there are kids who are pro-actively working to make Hackney a safer place to live, there are still many problems facing young people including rivalry.

Source: Home Office Crime Statistics, 2006.

Branded by your postcode

Joseph Pilgrim, a teenager living in Hackney, says he feels like other kids in postcode gangs see him as a threat, even though he is not in a gang.

He feels like each person is branded by the postcode they live in.

One girl has been assaulted twice in the past month by postcode gangs.

Teenagers tackle the crime wave on the airwaves of Sound Radio

She has had her phone stolen and now takes a 20 minute journey home to avoid stepping through the wrong postcode.

Hackney is Superintendent Logan's precinct and he is becoming increasingly worried about the dangers young people face due to postcode gangs.

John Jeffers, with a background in teenage gangs, is working on programmes to create understanding and dialogue with young people in postcode gangs.

He's working with partners to end gang warfare via a local radio station called Sound Radio.

The community project is encouraging teenagers to talk about rivalry and break postcode boundaries.

Links relating to this story:

• Sound Radio
• Up My Street
• Metropolitan Police
• Crime Statistics - Hackney

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Shoeshine

Upmarket city slickers in Lloyds of London are hiring shoe shiners from Streetshine to shine their shoes.

Streetshine is a relatively new business that supports getting the homeless off the streets.

It provides a service for business people and gives the homeless the opportunity to provide for themselves and put a roof over their head.

Street Shine has only been up and running for a few years but it already employs 10 shoe shiners.

It's creating much needed employment for the homeless.

Hair styling for cancer patients

Trevor Sorbie is renowned for being a hair stylist to celebrities such as Lorraine Kelly and Helen Mirren.

But he's turning his back on celebrity cuts for a more important job, styling wigs for cancer patients.

When his sister in law was diagnosed with cancer three years ago he helped her choose a wig and then styled it for her.

It gave her back her confidence and made her feel like a woman again.

It touched Trevor so much that he's given up the fashion shows and celebrity clients to help ordinary women who have lost their hair.