Darwen nursery headteacher tells of 'worst spate of vandalism' (From This Is Lancashire)

Catch em then reclaim the costs from the parents (in an ideal world - what a pitty the little gets will no doubt live to rue another day)

I wonder if the Police care to tell us all what time they received the call and what time they then actually arrived. Now I'm not saying they aren't busy at times… but Sunday tea time? And they haven't made any arrests? So when they did eventually arrive, Did they actually even get out to have a look for those responsible? Oh wait... It was raining on Sunday! There’s that question answered then...

K_B would the nursey be open on a sunday? So then how could the police look for suspects, when there was no-one at the nursery to report it happening at the time! In an ideal world, there would be a bobby on every street corner. But we dont live in that world, with the emergency services being run ragged. Also without any facts and figures, how can you comment about how busy officers are on a sunday teatime? The comment about the rain putting police off is very naive, and quite insensitive given recent events. We all know that that police go out in the rain. Look at the poor officer that lost his life in Cumbria whilst "out in the rain". How easy it is to criticise from your armchair. Please, lets have some comments with some though behind them!!!!

This is a very sad situation. This incident is in addition to the one at Ashleigh. I wonder if the police have any clues to work on? Unless the people who saw it can give some descriptions (what a camera would show) they are pretty helpless. We have Neighbourhood Watch schemes - have they none in the Turncroft Area? We must all look after one another. I have already crossed swords with a contributor on the Ashleigh story - he reckons there is no answer and "let 'em get on with it" I believe these criminals, for that is what they are, should be severely punished if they are caught. Never mind the magistrates, get them into a County Court where the judge has some clout. I have already suggested a bout in the army, "Colchester style" Drum some discipline into them and if we can't use the rod, use something equally unpleasant - discipline.
Now wait for the namby-pambies to respond - "Oh you cruel thing"

I was saddened to hear this story - this is probably the best nursery in Darwen. We still visit the staff at christmas! I hope they catch whoever has done this!!! - but I'm thinking they probably won't. I have read about several parks/playgrounds, etc, that have been ruined at the moment, and it is definitely not right - but then when they are repaired, the same thing just happens again! Something needs to be done about this problem!

I'd go with the idea of making parents pay for any damage -that way they might just take an interest in what their offspring do.
The country is skint and can't afford to continue paying for mindless destruction just because some people haven't the imagination to do something more worthwhile with their lives.

Comes as no surprise to me. I will describe what I witnessed at Darwen rail station just over 2 years ago:

Two young women, with two what appeared to be pre-school children (either that or they were so malnourished it had stunted their growth; I digress) arrived on the platform. Within seconds of arriving the two very young children started tearing the platform apart. Literally. Several wooden slats from the fence next to the path were systematically broken off, then dumped over the platform edge, to land on the rails. Next, after noticing the broken glass and rubble strewn along the platform, they both began to chuck quite large pieces of glass at people on the platform, and even tried to throw some at passengers on the other platform. Then threw more on the tracks. Now, what were the two young women who you'd imagine were looking after them do? Sat on the bench chatting away, the foul language you could hear a mile off. Did either of them even stop for one second to chastise what these two children in their charge were doing? Nope!

In the end some had to get off the platform to avoid the thrown stones and rocks, glass, wood. I have never witnessed children as young as that doing what I witnessed. And it was really quite shocking watching it. I can only assume it was because they had witnessed older children in the area doing the same - as they seemed to be copying but also laughing in a 'playful' way over doing all of it (but there was certainly NOTHING playful about the realities of watching it and dangers to the train about to arrive and passengers dodging the thrown glass) - or it was because either of the two young women weren't telling them off.

In the end one of them actually deigned to notice this going on and then screamed like a maniac at the children as if just noticing it for the first time. Had been going on for over 5 minutes by then right in front of them. And people wonder why children don't learn right from wrong.

Yes, those who have done this senseless act of vandalism should be treated no different to any other criminal. Forget ASBOS, do it the right way and lock them up. And no slap on the wrists, no porridge before bedtime. But having seen a good majority of children's behaviour in Darwen (it's pretty obvious from observing some of it no form of discipline has ever been taught to them ie what is right from wrong by their parents) it is very easy to see how the above can happen in the town.

Around the Chapels area there has been now a gang of alcohol drinking young louts causing trouble. Along some of the paths round there are carrier bags of empty beer bottles dumped.

So, no, none of what is getting reported is a shock or even new.

Davidoff: If all this was going on, had none of the other people on the platform the guts either to approach the women or discuss it amongst themselves and approach them collectively??

Have you ever reported disruption to the police?

Before you ask - I have and they responded pretty quickly.

We had a drunk on the opposite pavement to us a couple of years ago. Lying on the pavement at 3am moaning "help me" I rang the police and before I could get outside to see what I could do, neighbours were already out, the police and an ambulance were there in 5 minutes. The guy had apparently been drinking most of the day, come out of a pub on the main road in Darwen (don't ask me what time or where he had been) suffice to say that he had taken a wrong turning and was 3 miles in the wrong direction from where he lived.

We must all try to help the police with descriptions if we can - even sneak a picture if a camera is available - most "poor" people seem to have these mobiles that do this
nowadays so the idea is not too far fetched.