Stay Signed In
Do you want to access your site more quickly on this computer? Check this box, and your username and password will be remembered for two weeks. Click logout to turn this off.
Stay Safe
Do not check this box if you are using a public computer. You don't want anyone seeing your personal info or messing with your site.
Lewisham (nicknamed Blue Borough) is currently home to several gang allegiances. The most prominent gang areas in Blue Borough were organised around New Cross, Deptford and Brockley, those being the Ghetto Boys and Brockley Mandem. Most of the gangs present in Lewisham today developed from the “Ghetto” estate, officially named the Woodpecker/Milton Court estate in New Cross.
The Ghetto estate is where the Ghetto Boys originated back in the 1970s with GB remaining the oldest gang allegiance in the borough. The Woodpecker Estate where they formed was once made up of several large tower blocks that became synonymous with drugs and crime, it was also the centre for London and possibly Britain’s first crack-cocaine market. The estate was later redeveloped with the removal of all but one tower block (Hawke Tower remains). The regeneration process saw families moved out into other areas of the borough such as Catford and Lewisham.
This expanded the territory of the Ghetto Boys who became a borough-wide alliance. The Ghetto Boys through time were maintained throughout the first and second generation of youngers who occupied and recruited from many schools across the local area including Deptford Green, Samuel Pepys (aka Hatcham Wood aka Telegraph Hill), Crofton School, St Josephs Academy, Forest Hill, Malory, Sedgehill, Addey and Stanhope (READ MORE BELOW)
Throughout the 1990s through the process of re-housing schemes and olders going to HMP leaving vacancies in the gangs and conflict between younger generations (that would be inevitable as the number of gangs or gang areas in the borough increased) as well as civil and internal disagreements; newer gangs and gang names arose. In more recent times also following murders, imprisonment and intense police operations Ghetto affiliate numbers sometimes dwindled outside of the main strongholds making it easier for other gangs to arise as independent organisations.
BROCKLEY SE4
Brockley Mandem were one of the most prominent after Ghetto Boys. They came from all around Brockley but were located specifically on the Turnham Estate in SE4. The younger generation became known as YBM (Younger Brockley Mandem, although often referred to as Younger Brockley Boys). Initially YBM were close allies with Ghetto Boys from SE8/SE13/SE14 and jointly fought with them against historical rivals the Peckham Boys. However, a fall out with SE8 GB began a series of separation and YBM isolated itself. Today’s current generation are known as Turnham Thugs or Turnham Youts.
CATFORD SE6
Ghetto Boys grown in Catford became their own force as Catford Wildcats (CWC) in the 1990s. The main hangouts of the gang, especially the youngers, were Lewisham and Catford central areas with Rushey Green and Milton Towers (both SE6) forming their base. Today’s Ghetto Boy clique Shower Camp (Lewisham side) currently are in conflict with Catford Wildcats although the name CWC died out a few years back, “Anti-Shower” being the name used by the current Catford generation.
FOREST HILL SE23
Another gang area influenced through families moving out of or being re-housed from Ghetto and Brockley areas but also owing to the local schools being attended by gang members (Forest Hill and Sedgehill). Forest Hill and Sydenham areas were predominantly independent from Ghetto and Brockley and did not get on with Ghetto with their being rivalry amongst them. The Money Makers (TMM) were the main gang to become established in Forest Hill in the 1990s located south of Perry Vale. The gangs membership was drawn from Sedgehill and Kingsdale schools. A number of members were jailed in 2003 for a spree of steaming robberies across south London including the leaders Outlaw and Earner. Today the Forest Hill area is occupied by YMM (Young Money Makers).
SYDENHAM SE26
SM/Sydenham Mandem began in Sedgehill School from around 1997 and were followed by the younger generation SYD in 2001 although SYD were independent from SM. Sedgehill School and Forest Hill Boys School continued to be a recruitment area for SYD who were located mainly around estates surrounding Wells Park but also scattered throughout Sydenham. Relationships between Sydenham and nearby Forest Hill have varied throughout the years with both rivalries and alliances occurring, some Sydenham members committed crime with The Money Makers during the late 1990s. Both areas equally disliked Ghetto Boys.
The Forest Hill, Sydenham, Brockley and Catford areas are still very much independent of the Ghetto Boys reign. Newer younger sets have grown in these areas attached to their older counterparts with territories and hotspots remaining the same albeit changes in gang names. The Monson area which sits between New Cross and Peckham for many years was independent of Peckham and Ghetto Boys although was reluctant to join or take either name or side. In recent years the increase in gang cultural definers has seen the areas clique take on the identity of “Monson Bloodset”. The Ghetto Boys, whose territory is now a fraction of what is was, is confined to the north of the borough although the breakdown of the gang into more independent cliques has become more apparent since the HNIC ‘Sparks’ was gunned down in 2006 (see Ghetto Boys page)
