Four-letter abuse to Haringey council leader over Black Boy Lane renaming

Black Boy Lane graffiti
One the new signs was vandalised just hours after being installed Credit: PA

The leader of Haringey Council has suffered a barrage of abuse after the controversial renaming of Black Boy Lane in Tottenham.

The north London street is is now called La Rose Lane after the black author and poet John La Rose.

The name change followed a council review and complaints from residents of the former name's racist connection.

But council leader Peray Ahmet said her inbox was full of messages from people objecting to the new name - with one using a four-letter word.

Ms Ahmet said: "One directly refers to me as a c***.

"It’s not clear if they are local, but it is clear what their agenda is. Haringey has always stood up to far right bullies & we are not going to stop now."

Peray Ahmet posted more of the messages she received online, one read: "Change the street name back like the residents said or I will start a campaign against you.

"I will uncover every aspect you want to keep hidden. All of it will go to the papers.

"I will organise people to protest outside your home, outside your work, everywhere there will be people there."

Last month one of the new street signs was vandalised within 24 hours of being put up.

Haringey residents were consulted in the wake of the death of George Floyd and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests.

But the council admitted "significant numbers of residents" were opposed to the name change.

The street appears to have been originally named Black Boy Lane in reference to the nearby Black Boy pub, with the pub's name tracing back to the late 17th century.


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