General Chat

stay safe and check in often esp if yu near major towns and cities x

Hi Mel.My daughter was sent home from her work in Brixton at lunch time today.She won't be going anywhere tonight.

I worry about all the people o used to know when I lived in the UK.when sitting here in the sun with a normally great feeling of safety, I am disregarded seeing my country of birth going through this dreadful situation. Please take care everyone, if you are going to be home late please p.ease let your family know where you are.

I think of allege police etc who will be on the streets tonight, may they be safe.

My prayers and thoughts are with everyone in the UK tonight

Bridget in Spain

West Brom seems to have calmed a bit though a fair few hooded individuals hanging around asw there ar in Brum - Im texting phoning etc to make sure everyones safe x

hi mel its close to me ..heard they are going to hit merry hill .. nothing yet xx

great bridge is so close to me x

Son is locked in at his place of work ......and we aint in london

Mindless idiots the lot of them !
They are the generation of kids who grew up without ever being told off and who expect everything.
Set the watercannon on the lot of them if you ask me.
Over here in Canada it's making headline news, therefore not doing much for your public image I'm afraid. My friends are coming over next week for a visit including London and I've had to tell them they should be fine in the centre of London, but they're worried as they're bringing their small kids for the first time.

hi Joan Dad lives on the main Road leading into Merry Hill they ok at the moment and my cuz sez they ar petrol bombing in Sedgley nr Mums but they ok too all safe for now its all a bit too close now its coming at all angles x
Its become like a terroist threat ere but we dont know ar enemy C
Kemp hope hes ok its seems to be happening everywhere x

they are all morons,do they realise what they are doing,(no because they have no brains) and yes as ive said yesterday,bring the army and water cannons in,they are acting like animals so they should be treated as such.
what brains have you got when you go looting and then show your stolen goods(and your face)on facebook.

I agree they should bring in the army and water cannons but they wont because of the human rights bill. We are a soft country with a soft goverment, We've got to look at the human rights bill again and amended where its needed.

Also the parents of these youths should be punshed when they are found perhaps then they will keep a eye on their children.

As the England v Netherlands football match has been cancelled, why not round them all up and let them spend a night in the football stadium surrounded by guards? A good hose-down might cool their anger.

So....the parents should be punished.......hmmm......how perfect we all are....our children have never done any wrong.....they never will do any wrong.

I have known very well to do parents who's children have gone astray no matter how they tried to stop them.....believe you me, it a child wants to do as he pleases, then he will....no matter if he/she is taught right from wrong.......So no....let us not totally blame the parent every time a child does wrong....

Sorry....I cannot edit mistakes

As one person interviews on the TV said....What army?.....we got rid of the Forces....there are hardly enough left to fight abroad let alone do the job of the police......Oh yes, I forgot, What police? We got rid of most of them too.

They are of a generation that grew up never being told off....eh? Where is the proof of that statement?....Oh whoops....perhaps it was ano opinion.

I am horrified at what I have seen and heard today through tv and radio, and I feel as Linda does, and people on the tv being interviewed, why are parents letting under 16s go out and behave in this way. Seems there have been several youngsters of 12 or so and to my mind, the parents of those kids should know what their youngsters are up to and not let them roam the streets. OK so it's school hols and lots of parents work but even so they should make sure their kids are nowhere near the flashpoints and if they come home with new items that have been stolen from shops and houses etc then they should march their own kids to the cop shop.

Until some parents learn to teach their kids right from wrong then we will never have any control over the gangs that are devastating lives and causing such damage. Of course all this will put up insurance premiums again as well so everyone suffers.

How awful for one elderly lady who was trapped in her house with a gang of youths outside, she called the police who said they would come and get her out, but they didn't turn up, so she had to leave by the back door and get to where her husband was and spend the night with friends. On her return her home was destroyed by fire - all her life gone for what, lack of protection from the police, and youngsters just wanting a thrill, something to boast about on facebook etc

Little sods should have water cannons trained on them with great force, and then rounded up cold, wet and sore to an old warehouse, stripped of lighters, cigarettes, mobiles etc and left there for hours on end before being charged with arson, etc

Many of them have been given no guidance, no boundaries and no punishments at home, just allowed to rule the roost and have everything they want, or go out where and when they want, and now the innocent are suffering.

What about the injured lad who was supposedly comforted and while doing so, the 'comforters' stole frome his backpack. What goes on in their heads to do a thing like that to another young person?

Horsewhip the lot of them, they are not doing this as a protest or for any just cause, just for devilment and kudos and to steal what they can.

So sad for our country, what is to become of Britain, it's no longer Great.

Lizx

How can anyone possibly tell whether any of their parents have taught them right from wrong? We are not privy to any of the upbringings of any of those concerned. From where I was watching, not all were young.

(please excuse grammar and spelling cannot edit

The only thing we can possibly be certain of is that what has happened is shocking.

Horsewhip?......hmmm.....If I did that I would sure have to have an evil heart ....are you sure you could stand there and cold heartedly horsewhip anyone......could you stand there and harm another person? No matter what.....ahhh!......maybe we all have the executioner in us......or is it just talk.

of course we feel sorry.....but please stop making statements that one cannot possibly prove......none of us know the reasons....none of us know why......none of us can judge the parents, Police or politicians......Why?......because we really do not know and there is no positive proof......All we can positively know is that we are shocked and saddened and perhaps wish we knew the reasons. Slagging all and sundry off because of our feelings about the situation doesn't proove a thing, and wishing I'll against another whether they be in the wrong or not is just as bad......in my opinion, that is.

I am stating my opinion based on what I saw and what I heard. Young people who had been involved in looting were interviewed on the radio and one said he felt it was his right to have what he wanted at any cost, and it wasn't fair that the rich could buy things and he couldn't afford them, so it was good to go and get them from the stores that had been smashed open. I will make what statements I want, thanks, Susan.

I heard the elderly woman being interviewed, she was still in shock and who knows what that will do to her health, even when she finds a new home, she has lost all her memories and things in the fire that destroyed her home.

What is making these people come out in such huge numbers and do such awful things? Boredom, lack of money and jobs?

If I ever found out my son was involved with something like this, heaven forbid, I would be appalled, and would be extremely angry with him, old and big as he is. I would probably give him a wallop or some. He often says he wishes I hadn't brought him up to be so honest as he knows people who fiddle work hours, insurance claims etc and yet hard up as he is with no job at the mo, he isn't being dishonest or going out stealing or doing damage. I think he hears my voice in his head if he even thinks of doing wrong. He is no goody two shoes by any means, but has been filling his time helping an elderly neighbour and a friend, and doing some voluntary work while applying for jobs which are few and far between here.

If I knew someone had destroyed my home or a friend's home and had the chance, I would certainly take a horsewhip to them for what they had done, my anger would know no bounds. Why shouldn't I when they have disregarded all that's right and decent?

Talking to these thugs doesn't work, and look at all the detention centers and such that used to take young offenders on holidays abroad and such, did it help? Pussyfooting around them isn't the answer, they need a sharp shock as far as I am concerned and if that's not politically correct, well tough cookies!

Liz

If yours or my son were involved, I am sure that us telling them that they were naughty boys and telling them they should stay in would have no effect whatsoever if they were already involved with hardened youth culture......I also cannot see you taking a horsewhip to anyone Liz.....You know as well as I do that once it came down to it you would find another way to help them turn away from crime....Horsewhipping is evil as well you know it.

I am with Susan numbers in what she has said, trying to bring a voice of reason to some of these outlandish things people are saying here

and I can hardly see these youths having been brought up to 'expect everything' except that yes big corporations in a rich society do their best to convince everybody that they should 'expect everything', why else would they advertise all their wares constantly? ... to make people want them of course, so of course people expect to have them ...

in all western countries the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, this is a fact over the last decade, the rich are super rich now and the poor have less and less

not many poor people or poor youth are going to go smashing windows and burning buildings today, people just don't do things like that no matter how hard their lives are for the most part ... but how far can a country go in taking from the poor and giving to the rich before things like this happen ? do young people with prospects behave like this ?

yes the ringleaders are surely professional yobs, but youth who see hope for their futures do not go out and join them ............

A 29 year old man has been arrested for arson .hmmm....not a teenager then?....Maybe his parents were unable to get him to stay at home that night.

I'm sorry if some of you took offence at my thoughts/views/statements.
I do feel people expect far too much these days, what do I base that on you asked, well the fact that my own children ask for so many things. Even though we can more than afford to buy them they do not get anywhere near all the things they ask for, unlike many of their peer group, so yes I do know what I'm on about.
Why do I feel they have the view they will not be punished ? Simply the papers are full every day of examples of people breaking the law and not getting punished in any way whatsoever - human rights and all that.
I do feel some people have been so wishy washy with their views but hey that's the down side of a free country anyone can say whatever they want even if I don't agree with them =0).
It's not just teenagers at fault here but people in their twenties, people who went through all their schooling in the last 20 years max. have been feed their human rights, and never been caned at school never given detention etc. They've been led to believe that a degree is their right and then that will give them a future well not if it's a mickey mouse degree it wont. They have possibly been brought up in a home where no one has worked and in many cases no one wants to work as they are better off on benefits, and yes I have been on benefits before many times, and I always wanted to work even for them so voluntary work comes in to it. Here in Canada now you can not graduate High school until you have done at least 40 hours of voluntary work, which isn't much only 10 hours per year maybe you should do something like that in the UK ?

Hi Ice~Ice~Baby
Here in Canada you too stay in High school until you are at least 18, or you are deemed to have dropped out and have little chance of a job not even "Would you like fries with that ?" !
For those of the less academic type there are often work experience course you can take that award credits to your High school pass, many of which are in the work place. If after 4 years of High school you have failed to gain at least 30 credits then you have failed High school, that said most High schools will offer extra help to get your credits if you want to work for them including summer school.
We've had our share of riots these last few years and it's mainly been rent a mob many from Quebec or USA !!