Social unrest - very concerned now.

[Tim]

Just had a text from an ex-girlfriend who lives in Croydon and she says the place is alight. She's a VERY tough cookie and I have known her for years and never once known her to sound scared, but she sounds scared tonight.

Now Birmingham is being looted too - this is a worry and Police numbers have been cut dramatically in the last 2 years. My local force has not recruited anyone in 18 months and cut the workforce by 20%.

These are worrying times

[Alex_UK]

It is indeed worrying Tim - nothing to do with the events that happened in Tottenham either - just lawless thugs and thieves - which is probably all the more worrying.

[Reid Malenfant]

You aren't the only one that's worried Tim I live in a city with a lot of social deprivation & foreign workers that certainly don't look like they are integrating very well...

There were riots here back in the 80s, i'm wondering what the hell is going to happen here in the not too distant future.....


Mark intends to stock up on fire extinguishers

Golf iron at the ready (just in case)

[aquapiranha]

National service, boot camps, borstal, short sharp shock, zero tolerance policing is required. this is not a protest, it is scum on the rampage and it needs to be stopped now.

[MartinT]

Agreed, I can hardly believe what I've been seeing on TV the last few days. I was shocked at what happened in Paris and now it's happening here. There is just too much compression in this country, too great a population. Perhaps the government(s) will stop immigration now and actually direct money at the disenfranchised people already here, as well as the poilice? Perhaps they could also stop making mistakes and releasing foreign criminals into our midst?

[jandl100]

Live on the news at the moment - it looks like it's only the one big fire in Croydon, Tim - the furniture store.

Hopefully that'll be it.

[colinB]

I live in a flat attached to my shop and im only 2 miles from Hackney. Wishing i had got those shutters now.
A girl in our Crystal palace branch got a Blackberry message at 4 oclock telling everyone to go to Croyden at 9 oclock so the Police must have known before it started. Never seen anything like this.

[jandl100]

Close down the 'social networks' - it's all being coordinated thru those.

Looks like the government will have to act to have the powers to put a damper on them.
Times, they are a'changing.

[Tim]

Apparently Tesco's in Croydon is now alight, her husbands a CID cop somewhere in London, not sure where and they are barricading the station right now she says. She's quite distraught poor girl being alone with two small children. Thinking of going up to help her, but not sure what good I would be

How long will it be before lives are lost?

[Reid Malenfant]

National service, boot camps, borstal, short sharp shock, zero tolerance policing is required.

I'd be happy with that, sounds like it used to be without the PC sh*te...