Dozens of college pupils were involved in violent clashes with police yesterday afternoon (November 3), forcing the closure of Orpington High Street.I haven't been to Orpington for about 10 years, but this is hard to believe, unless it's changed out of all recognition...
The trouble flared at around 5.25pm when more than 40 Orpington College students waited for a bus outside Boots in the high street.Which is when it all kicked off, it seems.
Around 15 of them boarded a route 51 before the driver shut his doors and a patrolling PCSO told the remaining teenagers they would have to wait for the next bus.
And by 'kicked off', I mean really kicked off:
But instead the youths on the pavement tried to force their way onto the bus, kicking the front and back doors.It seems the real cops had just as much trouble when they arrived too:
The violence quickly escalated and a PCSO received a cut to his face and was treated by paramedics at the scene.
The high street was shut for around an hour while police fought running battles with the teenagers.Well, I suppose at least they are happy to call it a 'mob' this time.
Local safer neighbourhood teams, safer transport teams and police officers from Bromley, Lewisham and Greenwich were all drafted in to deal with the mob.
The Met’s dog unit and territorial support group were also called to the scene.
But then, when you need reinforcements from three boroughs, the dogs AND the TSG, what else can you call it?
Other than 'worrying'. Very, very worrying...
* - Youths Of No Appearance
Update: Looks like the race card has now been slapped down on the table, face up:
KalishaC (from newspaper comments): "...we are being discriminated over our colour and age because the majority of us were BLACK student. Because one white student cried the police let them go but with the black student they added extra force which was not needed.... Another thing i feel the police was too aggresive they should have asked nicely..."They should, should they?
13 comments:
* - Youths Of No Appearance
You know their appearance don't you?
You just have to see what kind of disturbance it was and where 'the yoots' came from.
Orpington is such an awful dreary down at heel place these days, a miserable high street infested with pound shops infested by miserable people and an awful lot of chavscum from 'The Crays'.
Ghastly.
Bloody hell! I've just looked at the comments! Dumb Britain?
I'm in Orpington at least once a week to take Nan shopping.
To be PC the climate could be descibed as 'snowy' and elderly.
Normally the only problems as Ranter points out are with the Pikeys from the Cray estates.
Yet there have been escalating incidences of violence around the college and the Maccy D's at the War Memorial.
Mainly due I'm told to certain 'students' taking offence at the South London post codes of other 'students' adjacent South London post codes (none of which normally start BR for Bromley, but mostly SE)
If things carry on, the Police will need a Trident to keep them apart.
Trident...ah, got it.
Interesting. This is a college specialising in those aged 14 to 19, with some courses for adults.
First issue: at what time does this college/school normally finish? Surely it's quite a while before 1725 for most of its students. Had they been waiting quite a while for a bus?
Second issue: might it not have been easier and quicker and cheaper to provide a 40-seater bus, rather than a lot of other police action?
Best regards
Where is Von Spreuth when a job with quality artillery is begging?
Times arise when the conscience must be temporarily disconnected and ears plugged with fingers.
Where is Von Spreuth when a job with quality artillery is begging?
Times arise when the conscience must be temporarily disconnected and ears plugged with fingers.
"Bloody hell! I've just looked at the comments! Dumb Britain?"
Oh, the comments, as always, are worth more than the inirial report...
"Mainly due I'm told to certain 'students' taking offence at the South London post codes of other 'students' adjacent South London post codes (none of which normally start BR for Bromley, but mostly SE)"
Ah. I remember it (visted for work once, long ago) as quite a sleepy, peaceful little place. But that certainly puts a new complexion on things...
"First issue: at what time does this college/school normally finish? Surely it's quite a while before 1725 for most of its students. Had they been waiting quite a while for a bus?"
Hmm, that is odd. Perhaps they'd made some 'after school activity' arrangements..?
"Times arise when the conscience must be temporarily disconnected and ears plugged with fingers."
Indeed!
Have you seen the other stories on the NewsShopper site? It's murder and mayhem! A pikey stabbed to death in St Pauls Cray, a 23 year old kicked to death in Bromley on Saturday, pubs closed in Bromley yesterday evening due to a huge punch up, and another stabbing murder in Thamesmead!
"Have you seen the other stories on the NewsShopper site? It's murder and mayhem!"
It doesn't paint a pretty picture, does it?
Julia
FE Colleges on the fringes of London would be 'un-viable' if they didn't bus in students from the inner city Hoodz. Bromley's grammar schools retain all the bright 18-18 year olds, ditto Bexley. The bleating of the Principal about 'a tiny minority' is thus the special pleading of a man who wants to preserve his job (and his pension, when he retires at 55 with 'stress related illness').
The problems at Orpington College are replicated (so far, at least, on a lesser scale) at Kingston College in SW London. The same scenario applies- high performance local grammars retaining all the teachable 16-18 year olds, and good bus and rail links to more 'diverse' areas (Wandsworth, Merton, Hounslow) which get seriously overcrowded as a result. The result is that daytime in Kingston town centre is a good deal more 'diverse' & 'edgy' during term time than it is during the vacation periods.
"The bleating of the Principal about 'a tiny minority' is thus the special pleading of a man who wants to preserve his job..."
He's not the only one, either...
Would, "Disperse PLEASE or we use CS gas" be classed as `asking nicely`?
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