Exactly that, a needless imprisonment for something that hardly qualifies for a crime.

I was in the city centre on the first night of rioting in London and there were groups of 30+ people hanging around on a night in which most club venues weren’t operating. Now nothing actually occurred on that night, but I could have found myself making the same call as this chap did. Just because it didn’t ‘kick off’, would that make it any less my responsibility to alert the authorities? I mean, we can’t predict the future.

I’d also like to mention that during a work scheme I visited various charity shops around the city. They were mostly staffed by people who were on community payback schemes for various crimes, including car theft, assault and burglary. I’d like to know why it’s fair to jail a man (at the expense of the tax payer) for any amount of time when he could have just as easily been given a slap on the wrist, or even some community service.

I guess it’s the price we pay for being concerned in a time of Civil unrest.

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