Two rival gangs squared off with knives...Given that this was Croydon, there's nothing too unusual about tha...
Oh:
...outside Croydon Youth Court.Surprised? Me? Nah...
A court source said: “One of the groups of lads turned up to get a boy who was in Croydon Youth Court.Must have been on a doughnut break...
“They just started going for each other outside of the youth court and one of the boys came running in to hide.
“We could see them holding knives so we called the police, but it took them 20 minutes to turn up.”
A few hours later one of the rival gangs arrived back at court and waited outside for a youth who was facing charges inside.Well, it's not often they get a chance to redeem themselves in the same da...
Police were called a second time after several of the youths arrived back at court in different clothes.
However, security guards saw through their attempt at disguising themselves and called police again.
Oh:
A spokesman for Croydon Police said: “We can confirm police were called to Croydon Magistrates’ Court at 1pm on September 22, following reports of a disturbance at the location.What the hell's going on? This is Croydon! Not Inspector Gadget's Ruralshire ...
“No trace of suspects upon police arrival at the scene. There were no arrests.”
Perhaps the police have realised that there's absolutely no point whatsoever breaking their necks to get to Croydon Youth Court, given the sentences imposed are likely to be derisory. And can you blame them?
Maybe the police were hoping that 'the youths' would just all kill each other?
ReplyDeleteWot Mark said.
ReplyDeleteJust what use are security guards if all they do is phone the police?
They should have got stuck in, ignoring all the 'conflict resolution' tripe they will have been trained in.
@banned
ReplyDeleteIf security guards just 'get stuck in' these days, they'd be the ones that get arrested - low hanging fruit for the CPS. Phoning the police is pretty much all they're there for.
I was in our local Tesco in respectable Muswell Hill on Saturday night at around 9:00 pm (who says I don't have a sparkling social life?). At one of the check-outs there was a sudden very loud rumpus then over the loudspeaker a "Code 1" emergerncy was called and burly staff started running towards the check-out in question. Apparently a group of "people of no appearance" were trying to loot the store.
ReplyDeleteIt all calmed down eventually, although when I left, one of the people of no appearance was loudly demanding of the (then) sole Tesco employee in attendance that he should get the police in order that she could complain about being "touched" as she was thrown out of the store. I asked another employee why the police were not called in the first place. The answer:
first it takes the police 20-30 minutes to arrive;
second the police generally take the alleged miscreants' side if the miscreant is a PONA;
third Tesco is (unofficially) fed up by the fact that if shoplifters ever arrive in court (unusual) nothing happens and Tesco has to cough up at least half a day's pay for a Tesco employee to turn up in court.
Apparently, given the attitude of the police to this kind of theft, as far as Tesco is (unofficially) concerned, if no goods are stolen - or stolen goods are recovered - then Tesco has come out ahead.
So it's the same north and south of the river.
Umbongo- thanks for sharing the details of your enriching experience at the local Tesco last weekend.
ReplyDeleteI'll remember the comments of the shop employee next time I hear one of Call Me Dave's ministers boasting that 'recorded figures' on thefts from shops are at a 15/25/30 year low (take your pick with the date).
@Umbongo: Hornsey Police station (fortified thirty years ago) is less than two miles away so what excuse do they have for such latecomings?
ReplyDeleteIf they arrived whilst the yobs with knives were still there they would be in trouble for taking their H & S seriously.
ReplyDeleteRisk Assessment meeting: "OMG they have knives - wait round the corner till the nasty people have left"
banned
ReplyDelete"what excuse do they have for such latecomings?"
I don't know but I do know that Muswell Hill Police Station is open to the public courtesy solely of volunteers who man the public counter there for a couple of hours a day during the week. The main Met station for London N districts is in Tottenham High Road north of Crouch End. The few times I've been there, there has always been a crowd milling outside waiting to get in to talk to the single PC on counter duty. Lots of police cars in the car park behind the station but nowhere for the punters to park their cars natch.
"Maybe the police were hoping that 'the youths' would just all kill each other?"
ReplyDeleteI can't say that the thought hadn't crossed my mind too...
"Apparently, given the attitude of the police to this kind of theft, as far as Tesco is (unofficially) concerned, if no goods are stolen - or stolen goods are recovered - then Tesco has come out ahead."
Good grief!
"Lots of police cars in the car park behind the station but nowhere for the punters to park their cars natch."
I expect there's a target for 'reducing carbon emissions' for someone.