Rianoo

I have noticed that the litter isn't bin waste/domestic/dropped litter as I have had to pick up quite a lot of building waste, generally plastic wrap or parts of paper sacks, cardboard packaging etc. I would advocate that all skips should be covered when not in use. I would hazard a guess at about 100 skips within the ED area with all the loft conversions/renovations going on.

I still need to be convinced if not for my furtherance but for the OP. Stickers or graffiti are acts of vandalism. Locks can be removed without damage. Please can you be a bit more condescending in response it paints a great picture.

@LadyD/Che OK - we go down your route and arrest the presumptous gym goers that leave a lock on the gym property and take proceedings against them. I am sure the gym would lose quite a bit of business and create very bad press for themselves. But as you say the law is the law and they can quote the Hardman '86 case just in case. Just to be a little more heartless they can then give 5 different definitions of the word constitute to the plaintiff when only one is applicable ?!?!. Slightly deranged.

You missed the point completely - a sticker or water soluble drawing will not help prevent your bike being knicked ;-). Nor will the person who placed the sticker on the wall return to use it. Whereas the lock will be returned to for use but without agreement - it can be seen as a "given" which as I said is presumptous at best - although I doubt the gym would press charges for criminal damage. Albeit glad your reseach back to '86 got you from technically to constitutes.

Only if damage has occurred (by the offender) otherwise no case. Damage your own property removing offending items then it is tough luck. In any case leaving your lock on someone elses property, without asking permission (I'm guessing), is presumptuous at best.

Does the frog have a way out of the tub if it chooses ?

"Can forgive grammar" oops

"It's unreasonable to expect them not to run about or cry in their own house!" No one wrote it wasn't. If stomping is going on late at night one would assume it is the adults. The children are probably awoken also which compounds the issue further.

Alledgely most of the arrests are made are of the people seen to turn around and walk away from the scanner. It could be for all manner of reasons but I guess it isn't a for a good reason - maybe fear of being caught or maybe they got off at the wrong stop ?!?. The scanner doesn't even have to be switched on to be effective - it could even be a blow up one or covered in fake grass and little plastic daffodils.

I will stick to my belief (not a Daily Heil fan) but do the crime do the time. I'm sure when you speak to a stabbing they won't disagree.

"Paid for by her NOCS" - brilliant !!

@Penguin Some people may 'duck out' due to the strains and stresses of being a parent. It is a very grey area and cannot be summed up with cliches. Communication is key in this area.

I feel sorry for parents that find life very difficult. In or out of work. They don't come first - the child does. Can we now move on to immigration and non-dom tax.

So we haven't moved very far then in philosophical terms.

I would guess that the view of watching a cat being burnt and beaten was not really that amusing to them - but what it would have created is a thought in 'peoples' minds. Could it be me or the cat ? A show of strength perhaps ? Out of interest - was this show put on for the general public or simply when the King ordered it and then arrived to watch ?

@James Barber I think Professor Pinker drives a Yaris to Harvard and then apparently lectures on possible causes of crime. Serious stuff, must buy book.

http://www.met.police.uk/crimefigures/datatable.php?borough=md&period=year Interesting figures on robbery.

OK 1 in 4 stabbings are by juveniles and homicide is at an even level. Job done.

@Huguenot - So going back to my initial point - stats do not need referencing as they are pointless. I am also fine with the fact that a stupid kid will "grow out of" stabbing by his 30's but at what price - the damage has been done? Therefore knife crime justification is not on the board for me however small the figures are - harsher sentencing is required. To say that none of these individuals considered the sentence before they committed the crime is frankly absurd. And to say that they are unique situations is also absurd. Why are they carrying the knife in the first place ?

@Penguin68 - What are the proportional incidences over the last 100 years ? - obviously taking into account population growth. Interested to find out.

@Huguenot - My response was to DaveR and his assumption that only 1 in 4 have a 'chance' to go to prison. It was not an observation it was a response with a question. Maybe your analysis is.............. Give me your thoughts on the subject then, along with the accurate correlation of sentencing versus knife 'crime' increase or decrease then we can put this to an end.

Fine - some prefer scars to police involvement. Thought, assumption and normailty are all well and good but evidence is difficult. Knife carriers may enlighten you if you wish to chat with them although I don't see many round here.

@DaveR - OK - so the credible research has resulted in what exactly ? A softly softly approach that means more people carrying blades. And of course someone who has set foot in a prison would not talk casually about giving someone 20 years - that is the whole point - its not meant to be casual. In regards to stabbings stats - many go unreported.

@KK - No digging for me, not the way I'm feeling today !! On another note when I looked at my foundations they were a single brick - quite scary really - I wish they were 1.5m.

@Nigello - I always like to quote Sloth from "The Goonies", but not to strangers or kids. Other than that its cool with me.