"They're feral rats!" says London riot store victim

Dramatic images as parts of London burn

Feral rats are running amok in London. We used to have just rats. Now the rats have come out and appear completely undomesticated to run around looting, laughing and leering at all around them. Actually, I think the store owner was wrong to call them rats. No rat rampages in such an anti-social manner. Rats have common purpose, female rats have huge maternal instincts. You'd have to if your home was a sewer. These human looters have little or no respect for others. Just selfish greed.

I've been away in France. One day was spent in Disneyland Paris. Two things struck me. The place has virtually nothing to do with Paris and when there you might as well be in another world. Basically, Fantasyland. I enjoyed it hugely. Whatever ever else is happening in the world, Walt Disney's world of wonder is a perfect place to forget your troubles. Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay my, oh my what a wonderful day! Then it's back home to find out that Birmingham had the hottest day of the year at 30°C or 86°F, whichever you prefer. And riots in the streets!

Anarchy on the streets of the major cities of England. Just England, note. This seems to be a problem for the people of England to sort out. On the one hand David Cameron says it is all mindless criminality and on the other Ken Livingstone, grand newt keeper of London, says it's down to "Coalition Cuts". In my mind neither really addresses the problem. Unless the prime minister is going to build new prisons the justice system will not be able to cope. Ken Livingstone needs to look in a mirror and ask himself why the Labour Party has spent so much money trying to bribe these youngster with benefits and bogus youth schemes. And I bet none of them vote (if they could)!

We have gang culture in all major cities of England. The gangs have leaders. Drug dealing and thievery play a major part. It's no good asking the parents what they are doing. They're loafing indoors whilst their barely literate teenagers roam the streets. They didn't start this last Saturday, it's been going on for decades. Politicians have spouted weasel words but the truth is society is not cohesive, it is not together. Youths smoke pot openly on the streets of Birmingham and other West Midlands towns. They even smoke pot on buses! It's utter defiance. Nobody bothers. Tell a policeman and you get shrug of the shoulders.

Those caught, arrested and stuffed into police cells for this rioting should rightly face jail time. However, that's not really going to help solve the problem. Short term, we need to save the nursery and primary school kids from descending into street gang life. Then we need to eradicate the gangs. I've always believed travel expands the mind. Let them use some time seeing how others live in the world. The one thing these youngsters are not is mindless. It's just that their minds are set on destruction through some form of tribal heroism.

I think instead of benefits and all the rest, they should be given Lord Sugar style tasks in how to improve society. A sort of poacher turned gamekeeper type of operation. After all, they've got some idea at organising a street riot, so how about organising something that helps society. If the Big Society means anything, David Cameron could do no worse than get the gang leaders into shape. Of course, not before they've taken their punishment.

I'm fed up with seeing youngsters wandering the streets. As each year goes by the gangs get more menacing. A new direction is needed. The rioters are not going to pay as one person fatuously commented. It's all of us through sky-rocketing insurance premiums and more borrowed government money. I dread to think what the final bill will be. Burnt out stores, police overtime, 24-hour court administration, lost business.........the list goes on. Literally, a complete waste of money. Or printed money. We're supposed to be putting our nation's house in order. Let's do it!

Posted in: London Riots 2011