I think that when I posted this story back in 2005 I had merely been browsing the news and happened upon it by chance. I try to keep up on current events both here in the USA as well as across the Pond, and this story grabbed my attention not only because of the sinister appearance of the 'family' in the Sun photo but because the story tied in with a lot of others that were in the UK press around that time, where communities were being terrorized by brutal Yob gangs. Here are some other "Yob Terror" stories from around that time:
Blair Get shot of yobs (PM proposes tough pre-emptive measures for problem youths and parents)
Great Britain Blair war on yob gangs (Sweeping new legislation proposed)
Great Britain Time to make yobs fear the police again, says Howard
Great Britain Yobs' mums face sin-bins (Teachers will be allowed to detain students AND parents)
Great Britain Cam Boot out duff cops (Tory leader promises massive anti-crime effort )
Great Britain Judge says 24-hour drinking will create 'urban savages'
Great Britain Torture girl, 16, led mob (barred from entering town til she is 21)
And yes I know what you mean, although it's been going on so long now and this Bridge 'family' is apparently unchanged or worse, according to your account. I hope that your community will be able to come to grips with this so that Rainhill's quality of life won't be spoiled. May God Bless you and give you all strength. Life is too short to spend it in the state of fear that this 'family' brings to whatever community they move to.
With regard to the Bridges. I live within a (very) short distance of the house they’ve recently been evicted from. They’ve given our neighbourhood 18 months of hell and their parting shot was a brawl in the street where someone was stabbed. I can’t begin to tell you some of the capers we witnessed. The problem is that they have only been moved on (to somewhere else in our area we understand) and so they then become someone else’s issue! I pity those people! The police try their best but they appear to be hamstrung. What was said to Norman Stanley Fletcher - you seem to regard arrest as an occupational hazard - that is how they behave. What really annoys me is that they are all on benefits whilst clearly running a business selling cars from outside the house. I thought we had people checking up on benefit fraud! They have been reported as asking for another chance - they don’t deserve one! All they are interested in is crime! They are not interested in giving anything to the community - all they want to do is take. The bridges are a clear example that the country is going to the dogs - and the liberal/PC/touchy-feely/hug-a-hoody brigade do not realise that they are part of the problem, not the solution.