Have I Mentioned How Much I Love Local Newspaper Comment Threads?

A group of youths who carried out a prolonged wave of antisocial behaviour in a quiet neighbourhood in Notts have been banned from the area.

The self-proclaimed "Colwick bad men" terrorised families and the elderly in Candle Meadow in Colwick.

Since January the group has terrorised residents by kicking down fences, smashing windows, ripping down CCTV camera, setting fires to hedges, drinking alcohol, smoking cannabis and smashing plants and garden ornaments.

And there it would have remained, just a story about ASBOs, until…

by justoneparent

“It says more about all YOU who have made such comments about this, not knowing the FACTS about the case, or for some of you, the people involved. Shame on you!
Does n't that make you the anonymous (hooded) cowards?

It says more about the state of our slanderous society, where people are all too keen to 'jump on the bandwagon' with their snobbish, self-righteous hostility. I bet I'd be shocked to discover the identity of some commentors! I bet YOU'VE got nothing better to do!

These young men are now not only tarred with this label ALWAYS, a great start in this dog eat dog society, but their loved ones have PUBLIC slander to contend with now.

Quite a result from a hyped up press article: as usual, using emotive language to exagerate a case, for which there was real no evidence. Thanks Nottingham Press. This 'quaint and respectful, peace loving, elderly community' suddenly became 'terrorised' by these youths. Yeah right! Check the facts.

The complainants were not elderly!

If you had seen the amateur dramatics in court by one: the claims of being driven to suicide! This witness always appeared happy to me, while all this was allegedly going on!

A case of a few getting heads together, because these youths were a DISTASTEFUL inconvenience to them to begin with. Aggravated by their own admitted in court aggression, the situation worsened.

Just think about the politics involved here: Notts County Council and Sneinton police for whatever reason deciding to 'come down heavy', at this particular point in time, on this estate. Plenty of anti-social behavior has always gone on here, as in most communities nowadays, sadly. (Check out the other article today about Notts police service.)

Just a short distance away I was driven out (after years of stress) of my home for such anti-social behaviour.

That was Gedling Borough and Gedling Homes: and guess what...they did very little! Thanks.

Instead of smugly judging other peoples parenting skills, put your energies into proactively doing something COLLECTIVELY about the real reason why we have to put up with 'anti-social behaviour' in our society today!

As I said, OUR culture is what is nuturing this disrespect, so are n't we all collectively responsible for it?

For the commentor who said they needed to get girlfriends at 16: I rest my case...is that truly your only answer to societies current problems?!!”

And with that, the floodgates were opened! Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of chavbaiting!

by Unique101

“"justoneparent", So just because you have suffered from anti-social in the past it is ok for your children to act in this manner?

The reason most people blame the parents is due to the fact you as a parent should take responsiblity for your childrens actions and respond accordingly to stop any illegal/anti-social activities from happening and hopefully pointing them in the direction of a good future.

The fact you come on here and attacked victims who you say have hyped it up some more but did not deny they had done many of their illegal acts against others says it all.

You then ask us to look into the real reason why any off us put up with anti-social behaviour. Well the answer to that is that we shouldn't and if the parents are not capable of looking after their children to stop this behaviour then I'm afaid it does need to be escaluated to the courts.

I also agree with the comment below in that they do not seem to have been punished for the fires, verbially attacking residents, kicking down fences, pulling down CCTV cameras, drinking (surely you noticed you children was drunk?) etc...

They have effective been told that if you go around that area again we will punish you this time!?!?!”

And - thanks to another commenter - they are YONA no more!

by faithinuzu

“I know one of the lads and hes the most polite and kindest boys i have ever met. .all kids get up to mischief and get mixed up with the wrong sort but thats all part of growing up. Its the sad people who have nothing better to do than sit there looking out of there windows and make up stories about there neighbours, who they dont like or never got to know. But because they are a different colour they are tarred with the same brush as the real thugs. Look at the real villians not the young impressionable youths of today”

But ‘justoneparent’ hasn’t quite finished, and has a few more yards of foot to cram into his/her mouth:

by justoneparent

“Interesting how some commentors need to return to school and learn correct grammar!

Yeah, surprised to see a very intelligent, articulate parent of one of these young men are you?

As I said, now thanks to a few sad peoples slander, their future hangs in the balance. Not due to parenting, as only so much is in our hands; then it ceases to be.

Make your mind up...are they kids, youths, or men. Then think... how much is still the responsibility of the parent?

I am all for dealing with the problem of anti-social behaviour, but who gets to define exactly what that entails? I bet you're anti-social in my book, but who cares about that?

The trumped up pretentious ones who can't string a sentence together, but think just because they own their own house, and like to brag about it, they have more entitlement to remove kids from outside of their house.

These fires, etc, barely mentioned in court...so your point is...? Anything at all to do with these lads?

The last commentor: you are a shining example of exactly whats wrong with our culture: everyone for himself, no respect for others.....find a young scapegoat to blame for it all.

SIMPLES!”

In fact, like the Duracell Bunny, they keep going and going and…

by justoneparent

“Oh! You mean the fact that two lads go to visit a friend on one little street, on one humble little estate, and ride bikes up and down outside, and hang out in his garden, or outside yours.

They smoke cannabis, and you find THAT offensive. So you call the police and they arrest one...charges dropped.

You dislike this neighbour, so you now go at all of the youths all guns blazing (not in a friendly manner) how are young people going to react to that? How very mature and diplomatic is that?

Thats because you are not. You are actually being anti-social yourself, are n't you. Now I could understand it if the complaint was for rowdy gangs late at night, but that has NEVER been the complaint.

So they retaliate with some verbal abuse. Which could be ignored (hey, just an idea...)

Now here's the surprise...

Thats how disrespectful they ALL are now because WE ALL: I REPEAT: WE ALL have made them so!

By ALLOWING ,without complaint, the greedy fat cat media and their TERRIBLE influences, not just freely available, but targeted at them all. So YOU are in part responsible for the verbal abuse that you may have suffered!

So these youths, not "yobs" or "chavs", so nicely labelled, testosterone all over the place, trying to find their place in the BIG, BAD, HYPOCRYTICAL, CONFUSING world that we live in, do a few silly pranks in retaliation.

In court, in your own admission, your neighbour that you dislike, was the main perpetrator, but by being there, loyal to their mate (only 16 don't forget) the two in the article are guilty by association. No proof, just heresay of a begrudging few households!

NO mention of the violent attacks on them in the biased press article!

A load of exageration, in order for you to stop the trouble that YOU have now been involved in escalating.

A load of rubbish being fed to the public via the media ("terrorising"; "gang" )
The authorities are using these three as an example (even stated in court): so that it might deter others. After all they have targets to meet in the county....

It all boils down as usual to money, the economy of Shottingham, and NOT a GENUINE wish to eradicate immoral and anti-social conduct.

If that was the case there would have to be such a dramatic overhaul of every individuals life in this country, and a massive rebellion against it for taking away their passive comfort blanket.

Besides, most people, like you, would not even understand why such steps would be necessary!

You're so brainwashed, you don't think! You just follow the crowd to be acceptable...you're so duped!

All you are witnessing in society today is a result of how sick OUR society is, and these uncomfortable experiences can conveniently be laid on the shoulders of the scapegoats.

Who cares if they could now become just another downtrodden, forgotten, unemployed statistic?

As long as you can stare at your T.V, without having to look at the youths outside smoking spli***,eh?”

'Infamy, infamy....they've all got it in for me!'

Congratulations, 'justoneparent', you win top prize in The Foot-In-Mouth Local Newspaper Comments Award.