Yobs rule Britannia

The yob culture is making people feel unsafe, writes Vijay Dutt.

We are getting a glimmer of hope for summer to push out the drab weather, dark clouds and chilly winds. But before that, we are experiencing stormy winds and persistent drizzle. I was nearly blown off by a sudden gust of extremely cold breeze that swept through the Holyhead platform. Relief was only possible inside the coach in the train to London. But train journeys, which were most delightful in this country, are now under the threat of yobs - irresponsible, beer-filled and violent-looking youth.

On the way to Holyhead, a group of five or six high-spirited young men got into our coach and immediately started belting some songs, loud enough to almost shut up every other passenger. It seemed they would go on and on, least bothered by the discomfort they were causing. No one dared ask them to stop yelling. Suddenly, a lady sitting in the row next to mine got up and shouted: "Enough is enough, shut up now!"

I feared the worst. But somehow, that lady's admonition had an instant effect. To the surprise and relief of all passengers, the yobs fell silent. The lady for all of us was a Joan of Arc. When we saw her a few hours later at a bar, we went up to her to thank.

In retrospect, I feel that possibly the large number of passengers in the coach made the yobs resist from turning violent. For the last few months, such youths have been rampaging and putting lives of law-abiding family, men and women in peril, without any fear of retribution.

The Home secretary admitted that the yob culture was assuming epidemic form and people felt unsure, uncertain and unsafe because of unleashing of lawlessness by such yobs. Every week, someone or the other becomes their victim.

But, as Lord Paul told me, the police here has since Peel's time been trained to deal with people who had respect for the authority. There were no terrorists. The police officers did not carry guns while patrolling streets. They were not allowed to enter Parliament.

But now, the police have to deal with the yobs who spit on the face of arresting officers and hurl abuses without any fear. I saw a young man being caught stealing beer at a Sainsbury's outlet. The store security men, who held him, were subjected to most foul abuses. He remained undaunted and when the police came, he told them that the security chaps had used unreasonable force while catching him. I would not be surprised if he filed a case for compensation. Most probably, judges could look his case at most sympathetically. They imprison people whose houses have been broken in while pondering whether the housebreaker should be compensated for the indignity, stress and hurt caused to him. Believe me, there are precedents for such rulings.

If Tony Blair really wants to get respect back on the streets, he could get done what a Raj days daroga (Police chief inspector) did. I am told that in a small district town, a magistrate would invariably disbelieve the police version and let off petty burglars. The police was fed up as petty burglaries soared. The daroga had a brain wave. When a petty thief was caught, he told him that he would let him go free if he broke into the compound of the magistrate and stole a few hens. The burglar obliged. But after that incident, the magistrate would not let any thief go free.

The renaissance of an ob-battered society requires a war-like effort. The judges will do well to visit city centres and the areas near pubs to understand that human rights should not be limited to only criminals and violent drunks but law-abiding families also deserve some consideration.

Appalling statistics

The practice of police putting street signs appealing for witnesses to crimes at the place where the signs are put up is under scrutiny of the Scotland Yard. The reason is evident. The number of boards touches in London over 1000 in a year, which naturally frightens people. I have seen four such signs in the Golders Green area in the lat few months. The area was so far considered quite safe. What then must be happening in neighbourhoods, which are known to be crime-prone?

Removing such boards would only give a false sense of security and thus endanger few more lives. The other suggestion that they should be removed once the crime has been solved and replaced by a sign saying it has been solved is more pragmatic.

But whatever is done, the yobs would not be restrained without them being made to feel frightened and make less alcohol available to them. The fact that happy hour has been outlawed in 30,000 pubs is a good beginning.