DEMOLISHING the house where Tia Sharp was sexually assaulted and murdered will prevent it from becoming a sick "tourist" attraction, a local councillor has said.
The home – Number 20, The Lindens, in the Fieldway ward of New Addington – is to be knocked down as well as the two adjacent homes, 19 and 21.
Councillor Simon Hall worries the site will receive the sort of interest which followed other prominent murder cases, such as the Gloucester home of serial killers Fred and Rosemary West.
"I don't feel it's right to expect anyone to live in the house or to have it potentially as a place which attracts undue attention over the months or years to come," he said.
"What we don't want is for people to come and look at the property because 'That was the house where Tia was killed', which can sometimes happen in high-profile murder cases.
"It could really affect people in the area if it was a constant source of attention and would stop them from getting on with their lives."
The Wests' home at 25 Cromwell Street, where they raped and murdered young women and girls, was demolished and never rebuilt.
Croydon Council plans to eventually replace the house where Tia was killed with new homes.
"It is our intention to demolish the properties at 19, 20 and 21 The Lindens, New Addington, as soon as we can," a spokesman said. "We then plan to build family homes in their place."
