Happy New Year All!

And here's to 2019! May it be all we wish it to be...

Normal service will resume on Wednesday.

Absent Friends....

As we begin the countdown to say a fond farewell to 2018 and welcome in a new year full of promise, please raise a glass with me to those we have lost:

Captain Ranty (Blog now sadly gone dark)

Unenlightened Commentary

Anna Raccoon

Dracunculus

Bystander, a sad loss to the world of profession-blogging.

Peter Risdon

Gone, but not forgotten.

Tweet Of The Month

LOL!

Post Title Of The Month

Second month running for Longrider, on the subject of the Gatwick Flap:

Quote Of The Month

Bucko on the modern day human shield effect:

"It seems like Blackburn have the problem licked. It won't stay licked if it causes an influx of homeless from other boroughs

Cllr Julie Gunn added: “As an authority we need to try and protect these vulnerable people because at the bottom of it all is a real person with real needs.”

This is how we created an entire generation of underclass chavs; by agreeing to pay benefits for every child they have, because it's 'not the child's fault'. Now is the time to get tough with the homeless policy. It peoples own councils won't or are unable to help, we should not start making them our problem"

And DumbJon on the reaction to the Gatwick Flap:

"A vote of thanks too for the Umanrites industry. Yes, it *is* true that it's perfectly legal for police officers to destroy the lives of innocent citizens without even basic due diligence, and that just about sums it up how useful the Human Rights Act is for real people.

Come to think of it, this point applies to pretty much the whole left. Innocent citizens have been subject to a home invasion, abducted and had their property trashed, and the left claims this shows how we need to clamp down on the people *reporting* on this. To put it at its mildest: overpaid thugs in blue victimising the innocent is not a convincing case against a free press."

Post Of The Month

Tim Newman on the new tradition of Christmas Markets - getting murdered by an Islamaloon....

"Alexa, Show Me Something That Defines 'Fatal Naivety'...!"

'Sunday Times' writer on a plane, realising there's a detainee being deported:

I did not stage a passenger revolt. Earlier this year holidaymakers had stopped a plane taking off with a Somali on board, only to discover he was a gang rapist. I had no interest in halting the deportation of a criminal, but I was determined to hear his story.

And 'story' is rather more accurate than she intended:

His name was Adnan Hashi, he said, and he had turned 20 just a few weeks previously. He claimed he was being deported for “weed”; after I scoffed, he admitted it was for selling class-A drugs.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice....

Hashi said he had been living in Britain since the age of six. He insisted he had no relatives in Somalia and no connections there.

Yeah, he's deffo telling the truth this time, love!

He had a strong south London accent and was plainly terrified.

And that means he shouldn't be deported?

...my sympathy was tempered by the knowledge that Hashi had broken the law. How many lives had been ruined by the drugs he sold?

Hurrah! Is the light finally dawning? Well, no. Because she got a fellow hack to do some digging.

The full facts disturbed me. It emerged that Hashi was only 17, a minor, when he was arrested. For as long as he can remember, he has felt British and knows no other way of life. His right to appeal appears to have been bungled by the Home Office (no surprise to those who are familiar with its immigration service). In my view Hashi has not been deported. He has been transported to an alien, conflict-ridden land from which he cannot return.

If only that were true! But the UKBF hasn't exactly proven competent at this in the past...

Hashi was old enough to know that drug-dealing was wrong. But, at 17, did he understand that the consequences for a refugee would be so severe? I would be interested to hear readers’ views.

I wonder if the highest-scoring ones have changed your mind?

If you're wondering if they are all supportive of deportation, then the answer's no. But look at the scores the similarly-naive get:

So, have I become a 'Sunday Times' reader, or did this come to my attention because one of my fellow red-in-tooth-and-claw heartless 'right wingers' brought it to my attention? 

Well...

Modern 'Conservatism'. It's a mental disease. And it's spreading from the US.

There, Their, 'Daily Mail' Writer...

...it's not your fault, they just sound the same.

H/T: Stephen Brown via email

Millions Of Japanese And Welsh Can't Be Wrong!

Ah, Christmas, the time when every public sector website feels the need to give helpful advice on drinking.

Oh. Well, that's new. I wonder if they sell it it Waitrose?

H/T: Robert Hale via email

Sunday Funnies....

Ah, it's that time when everyone starts making predictions. And you had me at 'Liam Neeson plays Vengeful Snow Plow Driver'...

"Wait, I Can't Have It All? There Must Be Some Mistake!"

Charmaine Parkin, 34, from Hove, said she was forced to use food banks to feed her children.

She alleges the six-in-one benefit system discriminates against self-employed people.

Is she a plumber? Gas fitter? Architect?

When the actress, producer and director split from her partner in October 2017, she tried to claim Universal Credit. But a measure called the Minimum Income Floor (MIF), which aims to ensure people who are self-employed cannot get more benefits than if they were on minimum wage, would have left her with just £8.98 if she paid her rent.

Ms Parkin’s lawyers say she would have been £393 a month better off if she had quit her career and claimed the equivalent of jobseekers’ allowance.

So, why doesn't she?

She said: “Working in the theatre has always been my passion and it is what I am trained to do but the nature of the work means that my earnings can vary a lot from month to month.

“It has made me feel like I have to choose between being a good mother and pursuing my chosen career path because it is no longer possible to support my family by continuing the type of self-employed work that I need to do as a theatre practitioner.”

Well, welcome to the real world, sweetie. You have had children. You're now a parent. Did no-one tell you that this involved sacrifice?

Her lawyers, Leigh Day (Ed: Well, well, well....), claim MIF is “unjustified discrimination” and are applying for a judicial review to get it changed.

Of course they are. Because who's paying? Not her!

Eulogising A Monster...

Here's a Tweet from the official Avon & Somerset Police Twitter account:

And here's a statement from the victim's father on the Avon & Somerset Police website:

“I am the father of Yasin Ahmed who was just 21-years-old when he was murdered.

“The murder of my son has caused great distress and heartbreak to me and my family and we are also completely distraught at the circumstances surrounding his death.

“My son, Yasin, was a very caring person and very considerate to others, especially towards the family and our community.

“He was a very high achiever at school and gained 5 A* grades at GCSE level and 3 A* grades at A- Level.

“His future was planned and he was accepted to study medicine at a very reputable university in China in September of this year. With his admission fee already paid, his dream was to become a doctor so he could help others.

“I just pray that Yasin’s character and reputation will be remembered fondly by the people who actually knew him as he was much loved by his family and by the whole community.”

If you're wondering about some of the wording used there, well....

Four members of a county lines gang have been convicted of murdering a member of a rival operation and seriously injuring two of his associates.

The men, aged between 23 and 37, were part of the Joey line that traffics Class A drugs from London to central Bristol.

They armed themselves with weapons including a “zombie knife” and stun guns before storming a flat in the city, which had been cuckooed by members of the rival Pablo line, on 25 June.

Little Yasin, who his father believes 'did so much for his community', was a drug dealer.

Speaking after the case, DCI Darren Hannant, said: “Yasin Ahmed did not deserve his fate but had put himself in a position where the risk of attack was an occupational hazard.

“While Yasin and his associates were clearly the victims of a brutal and targeted assault, they themselves were controlling a man twice their age in order to profit from their own drug-dealing enterprise.”

Who in the Avon & Somerset communication team authorised this? Who thought it was a good idea to let the family of this drug-dealing filth use their bandwidth to attempt to excuse his crime?

H/T: lutherblissetb1 via Twitter

Well Enough To Protest?

Then you're well enough to work:

Nick Sheldrick, a wheelchair-user with a spinal cord injury, was astonished to be called in for a reassessment of his industrial injuries disablement benefit just two months after he began attending protests at Preston New Road early last year.

Really? Why? Why is being caught protesting different from being caught doing other things?

Another of the Preston New Road protesters, a disabled woman with a fluctuating condition, had her Motability vehicle removed after her claim was suspended by DWP.

Ah, the 'fluctuating condition'. Always a good one!

She was told that police had sent footage of her at a protest to DWP, and she was even told by a police officer who stopped her while she was driving to a protest in her Motability vehicle that they were “duty bound to tell Motability that you’re using your car for illegal purposes”.

She later received a letter from DWP saying that her claim had been suspended, which led to her losing her car, and she was then interviewed under caution and ordered to pay back £6,000 to DWP, while a file has been sent to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Good. For once, the police are working for the taxpayer, and not against!

She was asked in the interview about footage that showed her walking a few steps forward and then a few steps back, and about being seen leaning on a bicycle as she walked up a hill.

She said: “What they were saying was absolute rubbish. Where are the photos of me falling over, me sleeping for 12 to 16 hours?

“To get people on benefits they take your benefits away. It’s to stop us from protesting, it’s to deny us our rights from protesting, that’s what it’s about.”

No, love, it's simply pointing out that if you can do these things, you can do other things. Like work.

Another disabled eyewitness who has spent time at the Preston New Road site and knows this protester said this week: “I weigh up how I am going to spend the energy that is available to me that week and my capacity for [coping with]pain.

“It is a conversation that she and I have had about how we both – for any activity we do – will either spend time resting up in preparation to be able to do it or resting up to recover from it and to cope with the pain that has been caused.

Why can't you weigh up the costs of working in a similar fashion?

“Police and DWP are trying to curtail people’s human rights by trying to stop them protesting.

“They are making me worry every time I go out to somewhere like that that it is going to cost me my ability to pay my rent, because they are going to say, ‘If you are able to stand at the gates, you should be able to do a full year’s work.’”

Actually, no-one's saying that. Just pointing out that when it suits you, you aren't that disabled.

But she said that she and others make this decision to stand at the gates in pain “knowing it is going to cost [us]a lot of exhaustion later”.

She added: “Just because I can do something for a few hours a week does not mean I have the same ability as somebody else who is not disabled.”

Doesn't mean we should pay to keep you on the sick for the rest of your life either. If you can get to a protest, you can get to a workplace.

This Is Why We Need The Death Penalty Back...

“Blundell and John Pordage did not know each other. They only came into contact because Blundell and his friends were getting petrol for a stolen motorbike and John happened to be at the same petrol station.

“Most reasonable people would consider the verbal exchanges that took place as nothing more than banter.

"A reasonable person would have walked away from a potential confrontation. They wouldn’t have shot someone in a rage.”

And then fled the country. Don't forget that.

But aren't we lucky that in this country we don't have the death penalty, so we can now pay to keep this murderer behind bars until he can convince a parole board he's reformed?

And also that we don't have a right to bear arms in this country, so that a criminal in possession of an illegal weapon knows he's free to shoot, and his potential victim isn't going to be similarly armed?

Truly, we are so much better off, aren't we?

Wisdom Of Solomon? Don't Make Me Laugh!

A High Court judge has stopped a blind World War II hero from returning home for Christmas despite a heartbreaking appeal from the 97-year-old former Royal Navy gunner.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons told Mr Justice Hayden at the family division of the High Court: 'I did six years in the navy during the war. I think I deserve some respect at my age.'

Well, you'd think so, wouldn't you? If you hadn't been paying attention, that is.

Mr Justice Hayden said it had been a privilege to speak to the pensioner, but said he could not make an immediate decision on the case, which will now be heard in the third week of January.

The judge gets his Christmas at home, of course. Why should he hurry?

But Julia, you cry, why single out the judge, this is another of those cases where the greedy council want to hang on to him because he's a cash cow! Well, reader, you may be right, but...

Wait.

Social services bosses agree with arguments put forward by the pensioner's lawyers.

Pardon me?

Barrister Katie Scott, who is leading the council's legal team, has also argued the pensioner is capable of making his own decisions.

She has told judges that council staff have safety concerns and says a return home might not be wise.

But she says the pensioner has the right to make 'unwise' decisions. She says the pensioner can, and will, call for help when at home if he needs it.

Well, well, well...

Judges have ruled the pensioner cannot be identified in media reports. They also say the council involved could not be named because that information might create a jigsaw which would reveal the pensioner's identity.

So the only ones whose identity we do know are the judges & lawyers. I bet when they were drawing up the family court system, they wished they'd thought to build in anonymity for themselves. 

Looks Like We Will Be Instead, Donald....

The USA:

The UK:

If we can't stop this, and elect a leader that will stand for Britain the way Donald Trump stands for the US, we are doomed.

England Is Changing...

While I answered emails, listened to Radio 2 & drank a nice cuppa in the early morning of Christmas Day, two stories in the 'Mail' caught my eye.

The thing that struck me about this one was how un-English it seemed. No-one sat back and awaited the cops. They got stuck in. It reminded me of videos from Third World countries where there's little expectation that the State will be of any use, and people therefore handle things themselves. 

Of course, that usually ends with the miscreants dragged from the car and beaten to death. But baby steps, eh?

And the very next story made me wonder if we will see more of this in 2019:

Three weeks? How long did he get? Well, brace yourselves:

Two children, one boy and one girl, were relentlessly abused by the man, now 18, when they were aged just five and eight during twisted games of 'murder in the dark'.

Their family, from Devon, took comfort after their 'nightmare' earlier this year when the man was jailed for a year, subjected to a restraining order and made to sign the Sex Offender's Register.

*speechless*

But just weeks later, that was overturned. The family, who cannot be named to protect their children's identities, said the justice system has 'utterly failed' them.

Does anyone disagree with that assessment? I can't.

The appealed decision was not made public and it took MailOnline months to get confirmation from the courts.

The authorities know how it's going to play with the population. Hiding it shows that.

'My children cannot walk freely in their own village. What messages does that send to other children? Should they come forward?

'Three weeks. I just found that such a ridiculous. It's preposterous. You would get longer for theft. That's the end of the line now. No further action.

'This is the most painful thing a family can go through. We discovered our two children were horribly sexually abused. It was hard to come to terms with and for all that pain - this is what we ended up with.'

I predict we'll see more and more people turning their backs on State agencies to resolve their problems in 2019. And I can't find it in my heart to blame them. 

Come Back, Gatwick Drones, All Is Forgiven!

On September 22, 2017, a dog landed in Gatwick on a flight from Casablanca Airport, Morocco.

When the animal arrived, checks showed that no blood test had been given to make sure the rabies vaccination had worked. The dog had also not received tapeworm treatment before returning to the UK.

On January 3, the airline then transported a dog within the cabin of the aircraft to Gatwick. When the Animal Reception Centre at the airport reviewed the pet’s travel documentation it showed that the correct checks had once again not taken place.

And I thought our status as a rabies-free country would be most threatened by the Tunnel....

Royal Air Maroc was fined £20,000 in relation to the landing on September 22, 2017. The airline was also ordered to pay £1,776.99 to West Sussex County Council for bringing the matter before the courts.

The airline was then fined £30,000 regarding the landing on January 3. It was ordered to pay £491 to the county council and the company has to pay a victim surcharge of £120.

It should have had its licence to operate in the UK removed. This is not something we should pussyfoot around with.

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

Normal service will resume on Boxing Day!

Hey, Grenfell Fraudsters - Over Here!

In bed in west Wales, with a laptop propped up on the sheets, Jemima is patching up Britain’s welfare state.

Well, since, despite the best efforts of the likes of Frances Ryan to convince us, we don't have people starving in the streets, she must be doing a bang up job!

So who is this wonder woman?

The 39-year-old has never been elected or even been paid a wage – in fact, she’s more likely to give out her own money than receive it – but amid Brexit cabinet infighting, Jemima offers something few ministers can: she knows what it’s like to struggle to pay the bills.

Fine, fine. So...what does she do, exactly?

Jemima knows all too well that one of the worst parts of poverty is the shame of asking for help.

The Biscuit Fund turns this on its head: instead of people in need having to turn up to a charity, Jemima and volunteers scour the internet – anything from benefit forums to cries for help on Facebook – and come to them.

I bet she never has trouble finding any.

Did You Get In A Flap, Sussex Police..?

Ah, the 50s, when people were so naive and fearful and the authorities were hapless and reactive to the slightest....

Wait!

Paul and Elaine Kirk-Gait returned to their home in Crawley, West Sussex this morning after spending more than 36 hours being questioned by detectives over the device that brought Gatwick Airport to a standstill.

It's beyond belief, isn't it? 

Friends and family repeatedly insisted the pair were not the 'Eco-warriors' behind the attack and claimed officers under pressure to get results had 'hastily' arrested the wrong couple.

Within minutes of their identity being released, the media had managed to find and interview the people who provided them with an alibi - yet they were still held for hours afterwards!

As Sussex Police this afternoon confirmed they have found a 'damaged drone' close to Gatwick, Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Tingley said there was 'no available footage and they are relying on witness accounts.'

This comes despite witnesses providing MailOnline with video footage of drones hovering above the airspace last week.

Asked about speculation there was never a drone, he said: 'Of course, that's a possibility. We are working with human beings saying they have seen something.'

Who knew the police '#Ibelieveher' policy now extended to UFO sightings...?

Det Ch Supt Tingley said the arrests made on Friday night were as a result of a tip-off from a member of the public.

And there's the most frightening thing of all - the modern police farce has become not a force for the keeping of the Queen's Peace, but a weapon that an aggrieved neighbour or cheated spouse can aim and point at the person they despise, knowing that they will not ask the most rudimentary questions first.

'I'm completely satisfied the arrests were lawful, bearing in mind the burden of proof and likely suspicion at the time of arrest,' he said.

That's all he cares about - not that they were justified or sensible or proportionate, merely that they were lawful. DCS Tingley, you see, is the very model of a modern police officer.

'Obviously we had to be sure prior to release, in terms of that investigation, they were no longer suspects. I won't apologise, but what I will say is we really do appreciate their co-operation and we have put a lot of effort and resources into supporting them when they were released from questioning.'

That's like an arsonist putting you up in a hotel after they've burned down your house! Does it not occur to this gold-braid moron that he wouldn't have had to do that if his men had done some real police work first..?

Christmas Tweet Of The Month

Since it's the festive season, have a little extra

...

Spreading A Little Christmas Cheer...

Don't have nightmares!

Christmas Sunday Funnies...

Wait, there was some doubt? For shame!

"Hands In The Air, This Is A Raid! Leaflet Squad! Go, Go, Go..!"

Sinister leaflets have been placed through the front doors of residents in North Liverpool...

Ooh! Sinister ones, eh?

The leaflets purport to be from the extremist racist group the Creativity Movement and call on people to become a 'White Racial Loyalist.'

The worrying deliveries were flagged up to the ECHO by former city councillor Berni Turner after one was dropped into her Anfield home.

Just the local paper? That doesn't sound like the Liv...

Ah!

She said she was furious to receive it and immediately informed the police.

Well, of course! I mean, clearly junk mail is an offence on a par with theft and murder, right?

She said: "If I’d caught them I’d have thrown them down my 8 front door steps."

Blimey, can you really do that? I must lie in wait for the spotty youth who pushes menus for the local kebab place through the letterbox; bastard has it coming.

"It's a very professional looking leaflet which makes it even scarier. Targeting places where folk are likely to be marginalised."

Yes, I'd imagine a leaflet where everything was correctly spelled would be pretty terrifying to a denizen of Liverpool....

It appears that after a number of people informed the police about the leaflets, the police are on the case.

A response from the force's twitter account which said: "We are aware of these pamphlets being delivered to the area and are currently making enquiries into this.

"Tell your friends to throw this away."

The 'police action', in a sane country, would be to stop with those seven words. But it's the UKm and it's 2018, so...

"This matter has been referred to specialist officers, who are examining the content of the leaflet to assess if a criminal offence has taken place."

'Specialist officers'. Boy, I bet they had loads of fun attending that course!

The far right have often chose (sic) Liverpool as a target for their divisive and racist views - perhaps because the city is famed as a tolerant, left-wing place.

Or perhaps because every whackado one-man-and-his-dog pressure group or loonytunes religious or political fringe movement knows they are guaranteed publicity in the press for their cause because the denizens have no sense of proportion?

The Unlikeliest Of Unlikely Stories!

The RSPCA launched an investigation after the dead fox was found locked in a cage in Brighton's Stanmer Park in November.

Animal cruelty? Well, not if this can be believed*....

Now an Argus reader, who wishes to remain anonymous, says he took animal to the park after he found it dead in his garden.

Locked in a cage? Did he think it might rise again after three days?

When he found the creature dead he sought advice from a friend, a naturist (Ed: I'm assuming he meant a 'naturalist', but then, this is Brighton, after all...), who recommended that he put the carcass in a cage to protect its body.

The reader said he had arranged for his friend to pick up the fox’s remains from Stanmer Park, which they both regularly visited.

Right, and the cage was because...?

His friend wanted to then bury the fox in the ground, concealed in the cage to prevent it being dug up and eaten by badgers.

It's a big cage. It'd need a bigger hole. A man digging an enormous hole in a public park. Didn't they think this might look suspicious?

He said: “My friend is a man who loves nature and wanted to eventually recover the fox’s skull, to display to other naturists.

“The fox was one the young ones which frequented my garden in Brighton where titbits are provided.

"Naturally I was upset to lose the fox and I had to consider ways to dispose of it so I sought the advice of my friend who loves nature.”

Rather than someone experienced in removing bodies? Please don't tell me you can't find one of those in Brighton!

He said: “I put the fox’s body in an old animal cage, secured it with cable ties and thought this was over.

"However, he failed to pick up the fox that day and it had gone by the time he searched for it.”

Why didn't he just meet you?

“Our plan had failed but the fox had not been caught in a trap.

"It was caged to prevent foxes and badgers digging it up in my friend's garden, which he himself intended to do in years to come, to retrieve the skeleton to display to other naturists.”

I knew this would come in handy again:


*Reader, it cannot.

Hopefully Because Someone Knocked His Teeth Down His Throat...

The 52-year-old denied harassing the couple, but was convicted in absence after he failed to turn up for trial because he is in Turkey having private dental work.

He's a wrong 'un through and through....

Miller has had previous run-ins with the law for clamping people's cars. He once clamped a woman who was in the process of completing a three-point turn.

But he'll pay as much attention to this latest sentence as he did to the others:

The self-employed builder was convicted in his absence of harassment between June 2009 and January this year, and failing to comply with a community protection notice by not removing junk from the alleyway.

Magistrate Ruth Dash issued a warrant for his arrest after being told he had been convicted for a separate harassment charge. He is facing six to eight weeks' jail for that offence.

It should be six to eight weeks hard labour. On bread and water. 

Using '1984' As A Manual Again?

A man who spoke of his 'dislike of Muslims' on a train from York to Leeds is being sought by officers investigating hate crime.

Since when has 'expressing dislike' been all that's needed to pass the threshold of a crime?

A passenger on board sent a text message to BTP.

But not a photograph of the heinous criminal?

The man was white with a shaven head and approximately 5ft 6ins tall and of a slim to medium build.He was wearing a blue bomber jacket with a white stripe, dark jeans and black trainers.

With that description, I'm sure they'll track him down in a jiffy! 

Officers are appealing for any witnesses who were on board the train and heard what happened, to get in touch. Or, if the description matches someone you know, to get in touch.

Or maybe not, since they need the help of more quislings and informers.

H/T: Ivorsawbottom on Twitter

Are We Sure This Was Bradford And Not Islamabad?

Hasan Dad, 20, of Coppicewood Avenue, Lidget Green, was driving home from his job at BBQ Express in Toller Lane when his Peugeot 107 was in a collision with the Vauxhall Astra of Umar Fayaz at the junction of Fairbank Road and Whetley Lane, Girlington, in the early hours of December 27, 2017.

Following the inquest, Assistant Coroner Raja Mahmood issued a plea to drivers in Bradford to make sure they wear seatbelts when travelling in cars to avoid “devastating loss of life”.

Are there any Yorkshiremen left?

PC Mick Street told the inquest Hasan had a spare belt clasp plugged into the buckle “to stop the audible warning.”

He also said the airbags in the Peugeot had previously been deployed and the covers had been replaced and taped down, meaning the car had no airbags.

I really don't think Darwin needed that much of a helping hand, did he?

The court heard how a large crowd gathered following the crash, with many people filming the scene and one man also abusing police.

Because it's their fault this moron removed himself from the gene pool?

"It's The Ciiiiiircle Of Life..."

Rachel Barton said she often walks past the “distressing sight”.

Well, walk another route them!

“Even some of the staff at the Co-op are getting stressed about this.”

Rachel said it had been happening for some time and little was being done about it.

What do you expect to be done about it?

Rachel has also contacted the RSPCA about the issue but it said it did not have the resources to deal with the situation and the netting, which is there to deter birds, was the Co-op’s responsibility.

Should have told them there was a camera crew present, love!

In the comments, a wag appears:

/applause

Finding Some Backbone At Last...

The driver of the 827 First Bus service, which goes between Westcliff High School and Canvey, ordered pupils from St Thomas More and Westcliff schools to leave the bus on Kenneth Road in Benfleet. 

Good!

But wait...! 'My kid has a disability!' (don't they always?)...

Trevor Wood, who lives on Canvey, said his 11-year-old son, who lives with autism, was left by the road as a result of other students misbehaving (Ed: Uh huh..), and became distressed because he didn’t know where he was.

Mr Wood said: “It’s an unbelievable action on the driver’s behalf, ordering most of the schoolchildren off the bus when a few are causing trouble.

“I can appreciate the driver having to deal with misbehaviour and taking appropriate actions, but to order off innocent bystanders when they may not know where they are is completely unacceptable.”

But instead of cringing before this waving of the entitlement flag, as usual, the bus management decided to stiffen the sinews, conjure up the blood and imitate the actions of the tiger:

Dan Worley, Operations Manager at First Hadleigh, has called on the schools to crack down on student behaviour.

He said: “Earlier on in the journey the pupils were asked by the driver and one of our supervisors to behave but they refused.

“This type of action is not what I would expect any our drivers to do under any circumstances, as we have an obligation to keep all passengers safe whilst travelling from A to B on our services.

“However, we need this bad behaviour to stop.

“On a regular basis we are experiencing students swinging from the interior handrails, playing football upstairs on the top deck, and being aggressive towards each other.

“All these incidents have been reported to the schools.

“If this activity continues, I will need to seriously consider the future of serving the schools unless there is supervision provided by each establishment.

“Other passengers should not have to endure this activity when using the bus to travel.”

Bravo! Well done! More of this please! Especially from you, c2c! The behaviour of the Southend pupils is appalling, and you do nothing about it.

The Echo approached Westcliff High School for Boys and St Thomas More School for comment, but they did not respond.

They never do. Except to claim that the actions of their 'students' are not their responsibility off school premises.

Well, What A Surprise!

Jamie Rigg had burst into his neighbour’s flat along with a 17-year-old friend while the occupant was asleep and assaulted and robbed him of his television, cash card, pet dog Frankie and two mobile phones.

Their victim was left so traumatised that he has had to move home but still feels unsafe and continues to suffer emotionally.

24-year-old Rigg, of Demesne Street, Seacombe, pleaded guilty to robbery and has been jailed for four and a half years.

His accomplice, who was living in Wallasey and cannot be named for legal reasons, denied the offence but was convicted after a trial and was sentenced to 18 months detention.

Which will of course be reduced by the time they've spent on remand, and them probably halved, because we don't have enough room in prison. So they are probably out already!

The court heard that Rigg only has one previous conviction for fare evasion but the youth has committed various previous offences including violence.

Their lawyers told how both had been disinhibited by alcohol and the teenager has ADHD.

Well I never! I'm shocked, SHOCKED!

Let It Not Be The Last...

A holidaymaker who launched a bogus £2,500 claim for food poisoning has been referred to police by the judge who threw out his spurious case.

In what’s believed to be a first, deputy district judge John Josephs asked officers to investigate whether Tom Oakey’s dishonest allegations about a five-star Bulgarian hotel constitutes a crime.

And just how did he determine they were dishonest?

...his claim collapsed when investigators found Facebook pictures of the 30-year-old and his girlfriend Claire Fursey, 31, sipping cocktails and dining at restaurants when he claimed he had been unwell.

Oakey, who engaged a ‘no win, no fee’ firm to bring his case, also claimed that he had to postpone a boat trip, but snaps on Fursey’s Facebook page showed the pair enjoying a ‘sunset cruise’ the day after he said he had become ill at Hotel Helena Park in Sunny Beach.

LOL! These people are as thick as they are crooked!

As well as being referred to police, Oakey was ordered by Northampton County Court to pay holiday operator Tui almost £9,000 in costs.

I hope they have good jobs...

Perhaps Instead Of Retrievers And Labradors...

...they should start training up pitbulls? Or Caucasian Shepherds!

On November 28, Jolene and Zena sat in priority seats, leaving the wheelchair and buggy section of bus 8a from Laindon free.

Two ladies boarded with their prams, followed by another lady.

Reader, that was no lady.

During this time she ran over Zena and wouldn’t move the pram off her.

There really are no words...

Jolene said: “She was asked to move it back and be careful, but she did the same thing again and was more insistent on getting her pram past. In doing so she hit me and ran Zena over again and left the pram resting on Zena.”

And no-one else on the bus 'had words' with this ghastly creature? What the hell has happened to Essex?

Well, If You Watched 'Inside The Ambulance', You'd Know...

One shopper heavily criticised the ambulance service.

He said: "That's absolutely awful he waited that long in the rain and cold.

"I want answers for this guy its not fair.

"I think it's disgusting- where are the ambulances."

...they are too busy dealing with mental cases, drunks and drug addicts!

Not to mention people who are fully able to get to A&E under their own steam, but feel entitled to a big yellow taxi.

Funny, You'd Think This Sort Of 'Protection' Would Draw Interest...

The owner of a dog that attacked five people - including a 15-year-old girl - said the animal was 'just protecting his family.'

If those people had been ransacking your house at the time, sure! But they were innocently walking down the street instead...

Owner Theodoro Tirimou said his Caucasian Shepherd (Ed: Popular breed with a certain type...), named Simba, ran out into the street after the wind blew the latch off his garden gate.

Mr Tirimou told the Liverpool Echo : "He was just walking around the street at first, he wasn't attacking anyone until the lady walked down.

"He is a guard dog (Ed: No, it wasn't...), it was just his instinct to protect his family."

What do you need that sort of 'guard dog' for?

Police officers remained at the home, which is surrounded by a towering perimeter wall and electronic gates, for several hours following the incident.

What do you need that sort of perimeter defence for?

A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: "We can confirm that we were not previously aware of the dog involved in yesterday’s incident and had no past dealings with it.

"No arrests have been made."

Police also said they had not been made aware of the dog prior to Thursday's incident.

Well, you're aware now.

But you'd think if someone in the neighbourhood began to build a Bond villain-style lair in a residential street, complete with ferocious beasts patrolling the grounds, the local cops might start to wonder why they needed to. Wouldn't you?

The First Clue Something Was Amiss...

...was someone in Wickford possessing a can of deodorant!

I Suppose It's Some Comfort There Are No Mad Scientists Working For 'The Mail'...

It was actually used to make explosives...

H/T: Stephen Brown via email

Sunday Funnies...

I have to admit, No. 5 made me laugh out loud!

Just Potty...

Potty training is a parent’s job, according to Amanda Spielman, the head of Ofsted, interviewed earlier this week. It’s such an uncontroversial statement – who could think otherwise?

Ooh, don't tell me, let me guess! Is it a sanctimonious 'Guardian' hack?

Like children who arrive with very little English, potty training arouses great concern among commentators, a signifier of some deeper malaise, but is not a steady or fixed state: children learn quite fast.

These children apparently haven't. Should that not ring alarm bells then?

What does worry a Guardian hack?

Far more intractable are the problems associated with poverty; hunger, insecure housing, punishingly long school days, when both parents are working all the hours they can.

Ah. Of course. Children aren't being toilet trained because there's a lack of 'social justice', Sure. That's plausible.

Most of these potty pronouncers have no direct experience of the state sector, and educated their own children elsewhere.

 Yes, the sort of schools you don't get into if you are born to inadequate parents.

Let’s say for the sake of argument, though, that potty training was uppermost in schools’ minds. A creative approach would start with finding a way to support parents who were struggling, which would be sympathetic, non-judgmental and inclusive.

Because the sympathetic, non-judgmental and inclusive approach has worked so well in the criminal justice system, eh?

...blaming the parents is a political act, about as political as it gets.

I have to concur with Longrider.

What On Earth Is 'Exceptional' About These Circumstances?

In mitigation for Darkowska, Jemma Levinson said she had been a 'model student' who was 'studious and respectful' and had been 'misled and lied to' by McDonald.

Her man done her wrong!

The court heard the offence was 'totally out of character' and she was 'besotted' with McDonald.

She's a good girl really! And blonde and young and pretty, give her a break!

The lawyer said: 'She still does believe the account she was given by Mr McDonald. This is clearly the case where whatever Ms Darkowska did she did in the belief and understanding that she was helping someone she loved but somebody she believed was the victim of the most serious offences.'

She added that she believed McDonald had been through a 'terrible ordeal' and was an 'innocent man'.

 Despite the fact a court convicted him? Sheesh! That'll never stand u...

Oh.

Darkowska, from Trowbridge in Wiltshire, was handed a suspended jail sentence of two years in what were described as exceptional circumstances. She was also ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work.

 For assisting in the cover-up of a murder!

Judge Mark Dennis QC said McDonald was a 'dominant' character and Darkowska had become 'entranced by him'. The judge said McDonald was 'deeply flawed' and capable of misleading.

While she may have set off to lend emotional support, the judge rejected the suggestion she never saw the body.

He told her: 'One of your references refers to this being a once-in-a-lifetime mistake. Make sure it is.'

Well, what are the odds she'll become besotted by another drug-using bisexual murderer and help him to conceal his crime?

Oh, wait. They're pretty good, aren't they?

They Aren't 'Fit And Proper' To Live Amongst Humans...

Laura Sayce, of Starcliffe Street, pinned Stephanie Heywood against a wall and hit her around the head, while Sayce’s partner Michael Hardman watched on.

Sayce and Hardman’s pet dog then also attacked Ms Heywood, scratching her back and ragging her arm.

The incident occurred when Ms Heywood heard a disturbance outside her house on February 19 of this year, and was said to be concerned for the wellbeing of her cat. She claimed when she headed outside, she saw that her cat had been cornered by a dog belonging to the couple.

The dog, which is a Labrador crossed with a Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Ed: otherwise known as a pitbull-type...), unsuccessfully attempted to grab the tail of Ms Heywood’s cat, which managed to run away.

So, to sum up, violent underclass scum allow their dangerous dog to terrorise the neighbourhood and assault anyone who objects. Bang up the owners and destroy the dog. Case closed.

Woah, not so fast! This is the English 'justice system', after all. That cannot possibly be allowed to be the answer.

Let's see it in action.

Mr Ronay, defending Sayce, described the incident as “an ugly event” but said its one that is “extremely unlikely to happen again”.

He described Sayce as a nervous lady, who has difficulty dealing with stressful situations, and suffers from learning difficulties including dyslexia and dyspraxia.

She's the victim here, you insensitive brutes!

A dog expert said the dog was not dangerous and that the owners were both “fit and proper”.

Poor Fang! How could anyone consider him dangerous!

Defending Hardman, Elizabeth Evans said the couple had already taken steps to make the dog less of a threat, including buying a harness. She added that they were also saving to buy a muzzle and install a gate.

See? They are responsible dog owners, prepared to pay the enormous sums it costs to buy dog equipment!

Passing sentence for possessing a dangerous dog out of control, and common assault, Judge Timothy Stead issued both defendants with nine month community orders and 20 day rehabilitation activity requirements.

Mr Stead also issued a contingent destruction order for the dog, meaning it will have to be on a lead and muzzled at all times, when in a public place.

There! That's the outcome the public really needs to see. Isn't it?

When It's Better To Be Raided Than Cause Offence...

A hooded assailant wearing a face mask, dark glasses and gloves was allowed to rob a bank because the manager of the branch was scared of offending him.

Manager Gemma Hughes only asked whether she could help him as he stood in line and was worried about causing offence about a potential skin condition.

/facepalm

Still, I'm sure the bank will be full of excuses for why this outcome wasn't really their faul..

Oh, wait! They don't have to. The judge is happy to do that for them:

Judge Prince said he did not want to criticise the bank for their actions, he said: 'Whilst it might be understandable not to want to offend someone with a skin condition, such were the circumstances here it is perhaps only due to time constraints on staff in the bank that a lot more was not done to spare Victoria Smith from the situation that arose.

'She was left to face him one to one over the counter and was left in fear as to what might happen.'

They had more concern for the prospect of causing offence than the prospect of their staff being harmed. Let that sink in.

Ms Smith had spent months off work and was only just in the process of returning, the court heard.

Her statement revealed she has had nightmares about the incident with Jones.

Find another job, Ms Smith. One where idiotic identity politics doesn't trump common sense and concern for your safety.

The Pen Is Not Mightier Than The Baton....

Prosecutor Julian Lynch, during the 22-year-old's sentencing at Oxford Crown Court, said prison guard Nigel Mason had been bringing Travers breakfast and had poured 'boiling or near boiling' water into his cup when the inmate flung it at the man's face.

Mr Lynch said: "The guard was relatively fortunate in that he was scolded (sic) in the face but there was no permanent physical damage."

Clearly, a criminal's right to a hot cuppa trumps health and safety in our cosseted prison system...

He said Travers, originally of Veryan Court, London but currently serving in prison for harassment, then tried to block entry to his cell and when officers got in they found him holding a pen and 'making a stabbing motion.'

After refusing to drop the impromptu weapon, he had to be struck twice by guards with their batons before relinquishing it.

Heh!

Laban Leake, in mitigation, said Travers had expressed 'genuine remorse' and experienced a 'moment of madness' due to the prisoner in the cell next to his 'engaging in a dirty protest'.

He added: "My client did not intend to injure the guard, who he previously had a good relationship with."

Yeah, sure.

Judge Peter Ross, sentencing Travers to 32 months in prison for one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, said he had 'very real concerns' about the danger he posed.

A further 15 months was added for one count of affray, which will be served concurrently, after his current sentence has ended.

Shouldn't this be 'consecutively' then?

Which Part Of 'Assistance Dog' Did Your Employees Not Understand?

Scott Robertson, who suffered spinal injuries while serving with the Royal Artillery in Afghanistan, said he felt “embarrassed and humiliated” by the incident, which took place at Asda in Bury St Edmunds.

Mr Robertson said upon entering the Western Way store on Tuesday with his assistance dog Rusty and partner and carer Hayley Andrews, a security guard shouted that dogs were not allowed in the supermarket.

The couple said they explained Rusty was an assistance dog, but the guard once again told them the dog was not welcome in the shop.

The security guard's a moron. Why is Asda hiring a moron?

Mr Robertson said that another member of staff at the store also told him to take Rusty out of the supermarket following the incident with the security guard.

Scratch that, why is Asda hiring two morons?

An Asda spokesman said: “We would again like to apologise to Mr Robertson. “This was a genuine error on the part of our colleague that they attempted to rectify with Mr Robertson at the time, but we entirely understand the upset this incident has caused.”

What sort of training do Asda staff get, then?

"Not Even With Yours, Sarge!"

A woman said she has been left traumatised after police burst into her flat searching for a man she has not spoken to for nine years.

Meg Le Chalmers, 25, was sound asleep in her flat in Roosevelt Way, Colchester, at 7.30am on Saturday when her sister woke her because there was loud banging at the door. Seconds later, police burst through the front door smashing it from the hinges.

Whew! I thought for a moment I was going to read that they'd smashed her back doors in!

Miss Le Chalmers said: “My sister woke me up saying ‘What is that banging at the front door?’

“We didn’t know what was happening. We thought it might even have been the postman.”

Blimey! Postmen are hardcore in that neighbourhood!

She plans to make an official complaint against Essex Police and says the incident has triggered her anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder conditions.

One wag in the comment section has the perfect rejoinder:

/applause

Yeah, It's Not As Widespread As You'd Like Us To Believe...

A mother was horrified when she learned her ten-year-old daughter was threatened with a knife on her way to school.

The woman, from Southend, who will remain anonymous, said her daughter was cycling to school when she accidentally bumped into two teenage boys in Cecil Jones Academy uniform.

The girl apologised, but claims she was told by one of the boys “sorry isn’t good enough I’m going to stab you” and he then pulled out a small pen knife.

Oh, well, if it's only a small penknife....

“Cecil Jones needs to do much more to make sure kids aren’t able to bring knives into school. When I phoned them and spoke to staff, I was told ‘I’m not quite sure what you want me to do?’.”

I sympathise, unnamed lackey, it's not like you get a lot of practice at this, is it?

A spokesperson for Cecil Jones said they couldn’t comment on individual incidents, but highlighted the incident didn’t take place on school grounds.

They added: “We work hard to tackle incidents of challenging or difficult behaviour but it must be stressed that most schools in the UK deal with these type of incidents from time to time. Cecil Jones is not alone in this regard.”

'Most schools'...? Really? Do you think this school suffers these sort of incidents?

And if the answer is 'No', maybe ask yourself why...

I Don't Think 'Differently' Is The Appropriate Word Here...

Yesterday morning we published a story that had a profound effect on our entire newsroom.

It's Liverpool, so of course, it's a heartwarming tale of how people came together to help their fellow citizens.

Within six hours of our story going live - our readers had contributed an incredible £7,000 to a fund launched to help the siblings cover funeral costs and the huge financial challenges that now lie ahead for them.

And here's another heartwarming tale of how people came together to help....

Well, not their fellow citizens. Far from it.

...yesterday also brought us the incredible moment a group of young Liverpool fans found they had been travelling back from France with two alleged asylum seekers hidden in their coach. The young men were discovered stowed in the vehicle after the fans had returned to British soil. The immediate reaction from the Reds fans? Naturally, it was to embrace the two young men, make them feel safe and welcome and even pose for a photo.

We don't know the specific circumstances that have led these two young men to try and make it to the UK - but it stands to reason that you must be escaping from a pretty difficult situation if you are ready to risk your life by travelling in the engine compartment of a coach for miles on end - with no idea how far you will get.

No, not 'differently'. Try 'with extreme gullibility' instead...

"One said: ‘It’s mortifying to think somebody capable of that could be living along your street.’"

A murderer? A paedophile?

Well, no:

Colin Wing, 60, was caught on camera hurling insults at the Manchester City player in a Premier League match at Chelsea on Saturday.

A man who gets a bit too excited at a football match. Have we lost all reason in this country?

‘Nobody around me said they heard anything. I want to apologise unreservedly to Raheem and hope he can be a better man than I am by accepting it.

‘I offer him an unreserved apology. Even if it wasn’t racist, it’s not right what I said. Even the swearing is bad – but I got carried away.

‘I was completely out of order, but I’ve lost my job and my season ticket now so everybody’s got what they wanted. So why can’t they leave me alone?’

Oh, I'm sure the mob will lose interest now. There'll be another Two Minute Hate along in a minute to distract them.

But The British Taxpayer Is A Victim, Surely..?

'Police will never check a database only to establish a victim's immigration status,' Mr Sawyer added.

'If an officer becomes aware that a victim of crime is suspected of being an illegal immigrant, it is right that they should raise this with Immigration Enforcement officers and not take any immigration enforcement action themselves.

'Throughout, the police should treat them as a victim of crime.

'The police priority is to protect victims and investigate crime, and we are extremely careful about doing anything to deter victims from reporting to us.'

Illegal immigration is a crime. Isn't it?

Corey Stoughton, advocacy director at campaign organisation Liberty, said: 'We have repeatedly raised our concerns about this practice of sharing a victim's data with the Home Office and we are pleased the NPCC is finally addressing it.

'This inherently biased practice actively discourages victims and witnesses of crimes coming forward, leaving criminals to continue committing crimes with near impunity and victims with no recourse to justice.'

What about our 'recourse to justice'?

She said the issue will persist unless there is a 'complete firewall' between police and the Home Office.

In other words, 'Until we get the open borders we want, and our Common Purpose troops can move on to the next agenda item'.

Demand For Free Stuff Increases At Christmas? Who Knew?

Staff at a foodbank are asking for urgent donations as they warn Christmas could be their busiest month ever.

Last December, The Whitehawk Foodbank provided 137 three-day emergency food supplies to people in crisis, 47 of which went to children.

That figure is expected to be higher this year as it launches its Twelve Days of Christmas campaign.

Gosh! Who could have exp...

Oh, yeah. Everyone.

Manager Rich Merrick said every year, the foodbank sees an increase in demand in December.

So it's not remotely 'news' then, is it?

Yet More Normalising Of Mental Illness...

...now they even get dedicated gardening tips in local newspapers!

What..?

*googles schizostylis*

Oh....

"It's Right There In The Headline!" Pt 24967

How can you get it right and wrong at the same time?

H/T: Paul Herring via Twitter

Sunday Funnies...

Doesn't cover the myth that Katie Price is somehow considered a celebrity, though...

I'll Tell You What 'The Reasons' Are, Hamida...

Hamida Ali, Labour cabinet member for Safer Croydon and Communities, today emphasised the need to balance robust sentencing for violent offenders with measures to rehabilitate them.

The violent offender she's pontificating about is this charming fellow.

Councillor Ali said: "Robust enforcement is hugely important and will need to include custodial sentences.

"The judge seems to have taken into account significant contextual factors in coming to her decision, particularly the traumatic experience the defendant suffered in the run up to the attack.

"When we commit someone to a sentence, we have to consider what else we can do to get to grips with the reasons why they commit violence and use weapons, so when the come out they won't reoffend.

"It is as important as the message that a deterrent sends out to the community."

We know the reasons why people like him commit their offences. It's because there's always people like you seeking to absolve them of responsibility for them...

Councillor Ali, representing Woodside, says it is crucial that the work of police and the courts is coupled with a longer term social strategy.

"There is a public consensus that the public health approach is the best."

Is there? Have you asked the public, then?

"There's no one organisation alone that will be able to stop this."

The prison service would do it. If people like you didn't get in their way.

"Elements of the public approach will not be popular as one part of it is the length of commitment we have to make to an area. It's a ten year strategy."

Even Mao only had a 5 Year Plan!

"Yeah, But No, But Yeah, But..."

Stacey Hallsworth took perfumes and gift sets from Boots and Superdrug to fund her addictions to drugs such as Spice.

In court she admitted three theft charges, where Paul Lamb, prosecuting said she stole £212 worth of goods at Superdrug in London Road, before further thefts worth £54 at Boots in North Street and £93 at Boots in St James’s Street in October.

Mr Lamb said the public tried to stop her leaving, but she managed to get away without making any effort to pay for the goods. The 30-year-old of Percival Terrace in Brighton has 13 previous convictions for 24 offences, including five convictions for shoplifting between 2008 and 2013.

I'm astounded the police bothered; didn't they have 'hate crime' to concern themselves with instead?

Ed Fish, defending, said Hallsworth has previously managed to get herself off drugs and alcohol, but since having her daughter taken away “things have started to go wrong”.

Errr, I think that's the first sigh od 'something going wrong', ism't it?

He said that because she has previously completed rehabilitation, she is “well capable” of conquering her addictions once again.

'Well capable'...? What sort of language is that?

Magistrate Nick Letherby told her he would impose a community order for a drug rehabilitation requirement.

She interrupted him in the dock and said: “I don’t understand you mate.”

“I am definitely not your mate,” the magistrate replied. He imposed a nine-month community order and told her to complete 15 days of rehabilitation at Pavilions in this time. She must also pay compensation of £359 as the goods were not recovered.

“How am I going to pay that bruv?” she asked.

Ah. Clearly, he'd been consulting with his client too long and picked up the vernacular.

Of course, we know who will pay, don't we, reader?

Mr Letherby told her the sum would be taken from her benefit payments.

*sighs*

Laying The Blame On Everyone Else....

Concerns about the speed of the lorry and the driver’s visibility were raised by her family during the hearing.

...

The student’s family - who said they were “broken” by her death - also raised questions about measures put in place by the bonfire society organising the event and of the company which owns the lorry, Maritime Transport.

I'm not entirely sure why it's any of these people's responsibility to make sure their daughter didn't drink herself into a stupor.

Reports found she had a “significant blood alcohol level” of 194mg per 100ml of blood in her system and would have been “severely intoxicated”.

Sussex Police forensic collision investigator Julian Taylor said the size of the vehicle meant speed would make little difference if it hit a pedestrian and it would have been hard for any driver to avoid the crash.

Marks on the lorry were consistent with the theory she had been lying down at the time of the crash but Mr Taylor said he “could not explain” why she was in the road.

I think we all can, can't we?