Colin Bloom » Anti-Social Behaviour

Thamesmead Festival ends early because of violence

Colin Bloom — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:48:00 +0000

Last Saturday I had an exciting and full day, amongst meeting residents, going to a fundraising event, visiting the Belvedere Community Forum I went to the Thamesmead Festival.

The Thamesmead Festival started out as a vibrant and exciting event, but I quickly felt a certain tension in the air which made me think that something bad might happen. Sadly for the overwhelming majority of decent people there, it did.

Today the News Shopper is carrying the report that the festival had to be closed early due to violence. Read it here.

Interestingly the News Shopper devotes most of the article to quotes from the Labour MP John Austin. Maybe one day, they’ll ask me for a quote on how badly Labour have let down and taken for granted the people of Erith & Thamesmead!

However, in the meantime we need to consider the response of the Police at this event.

‘A stand-off developed between police, who included officers from the Met Police’s Territorial Support Group, and about 200 youths, with bottles and bricks thrown at the police.

A police helicopter was also called in.

Eventually the crowds dispersed and the Met said a number of youths were issued with fixed penalty notices for public order offences.’

Oh come on! Is that the best we can do? If people throw bricks and bottles at the Police they should be arrested, charged and punished. Severely.

Obviously since the G20 debacle our Police have been emasculated and have been reduced little more than mobile punch bags that can issue Fixed Penalty Notices for a living. Why doesn’t the gutless Home Office just get on with it and rename our hard working and brave coppers Traffic Wardens!

Pathetic.

Yobs start a fire in Erith

Colin Bloom — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:19:21 +0000

Earlier I wrote about the anti-social hooligans who let off at least ten fire hydrants in Thamesmead last night.

This evening I was in Erith, near the Running Horses Pub when at about 8 pm some idiots thought it would be good sport to start a fire in the bushes. As anyone who knows the area will testify, because of the topography of the town, smoke, odours and smog just hangs in the air and envelopes the place with a choking grip.

Fortunately Erith’s excellent Fire Brigade were on site within about 5 minutes and I saw them put the fire out with skill and efficiency. But the smell and smoke lingered for some time.

So well done brave Fire Fighters and shame on the yobs that like to start fires. Some of the locals that I spoke to agreed that Zero Tolerance was the answer.

We need Zero Tolerance on Anti Social Behaviour

Colin Bloom — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:41:12 +0000

These dramatic picture were taken* last night in Thamesmead.

They show the havoc that was wreaked by a gang of anti-social young people who set off at least ten fire hydrants. With water shooting up to 60ft in the sky and the streets running with tens of thousands of gallons of water, these mindless yobs caused fear, anxiety and damage on a community that deserves much better.

The Police say that they can’t identify the people involved, even though they were seen by lots of people. These hooligans will have been soaked to the skin, and they will by now be bragging about their exploits. If the Police really wanted to they would have these yobs in the clink by the weekend, let’s hope they do!

I’ve said it before, and when (or if) I get into Parliament I will be saying it even louder, the Police, the Magistrates, the Local Authorities, the Probation Service and the Community need to have a cold, resolute, zero-tolerance approach to crime. Unless there is joined up thinking and a co-ordinated approach to dealing with anti-social behaviour of the kind experienced last night in Thamesmead, things will just get worse for the majority of law abiding decent people.

Read the story here in the News Shopper.

*These photos were taken by Graham Simpson