A gang of 100 or more youths were out and about on Wednesday night,(26th Feb) and reports from local kids indicate that there were at least 3 kids beaten up, including two girls. Kirkby Times took a pretty poor video of the gang meeting up at Mc Donald's, possibly trying to barge there way in, then stopping traffic in County Road at the crossroads' right outside 'Mackey's', as Mc Donald's is known in Scouseland.

Download the video, poor quality but you can make out the size of the gang as they meet up at Mc Donalds. Click on the link below

See the Video(only 1.2 mb or so in size)

The gang headed down Roughwood Drive and at this point, a Police Car appeared, but no cops were seen getting out the car, not that you can blame them, as the mob may well have caused some serious injury. The Police Car then drove away, but turned back around maybe a minute later as the mob made there way to the back of a nearby tower block. The car then herded the youths who ran towards the Woods. The car then headed off, as a few stragglers made there way to the Woods.

Cops come then head in opposite direction.

Around 10 minutes later, the sirens were heard and blue lights spotted, as a Police Van and two cars made there way to the area. Unfortunately for the Police, they headed away from were the gang was, in fact, they went off in a completely different direction. It's possible these additional vehicles were off to another incident, which would mean that one patrol car was at that point responding to the gang, which could have numbered up to 150 at one point.

Roughwood Vs All Saints.

The Gang was likely Roughwood School who have, along with All Saints, been engaging in a 'gang war' over the past few weeks and mobs have been attacking in numbers. One incident last week reported to Kirkby times involved four 12 yr olds chased by a mob of 30 odd. One youth was kicked to the floor and beaten with a stick. Some of the kids are arming themselves with iron bars and many are prepared to improvise and use anything that comes to hand. 'Fair fights' such as 'one on one' punch-ups, seem to be heading out the window as mob rule becomes common practice. Kirkby Times is stating here and now that a child is going to seriously injured or killed if these gangs continue in this manner. It's not that the gangs are a new thing, but there is a level of violence which is in itself worrying. Unless the Council deal with this problem they have created through lack of Youth Leisure facilities, then it will get worse. If there running around like this in the middle of winter, what will it be like when the schools break up for summer?

CCTV useless

The mob was right under the so called 'watchful eye' of the CCTV camera in Northwood. The mobs often are, and even heroin dealers have worked out the blind spots as sometimes they would meet their customers on Roughwood drive. The Gangs often have hoods up and it is doubtful that there have been many, if any, convictions which came directly from video evidence. So far the Police have not had the wisdom to actually compare figures, or else they have the figures and simply hide them. It would have been far cheaper and ten times more effective to have used the CCTV funds to buy 500 digital cameras and train local residents to use them.

Check out the picture below released by Merseyside police, it is of kids smashing a bus shelter up, a not too uncommon sight in Kirkby and an event which could easily be captured by a good digital camera with far better results than you see below..........

Merseyside Police CCTV Footage released to public.

Now the picture below was taken on a digital camera you'd pick up for some £200, as its an older model and nowhere near as good as the newer cameras. The photo is of a youth aged 12 or so, on a motorbike, on the pavement. Had I a camera with a better spec, the lads face could have been on a name em and shame em poster 24 hours later! Sorry Kidda, but riding bikes on pavements is stupid, and you should be fighting the Council to knock down Sonae for a motorbike course to be built in its place. Wise up kids.

It's nothing new!

20 years or so ago, as a youth myself, I can remember gangs even bigger than the gang spotted tonight running riot. Nothings changed except the fights we had were generally 'fair' and we wouldn't wade into someone with weapons. Anyone stepping in and interfering with a 'one on one' was thought of as a divvy. And of the lads I saw fight each other, it was generally enough to end the grievance. Roughwood were still fighting back then, but we never really had the fights continue out of school in late evening. In the 70's and 80's, St Kevin's and Roughwood School would periodically fight each other. Back them Roughwood needed the help of other schools who ganged up, or tried to, on St Kevin's School, now sadly long closed and demolished.

Updated 28th feb

There have been rumours of a schoolgirl being stabbed at St Chad's a few nights ago, this is untrue, the girl involved was attacked, possibly hit with a stick, but only suffered a cut or graze to the face. Another rumour concerns someone in a coma. Again, totally untrue, there's too many people jumping on the rumour bandwagon creating unnecessary panic. Whilst the trouble is worrying, it must be remembered that rumours of stabbings etc can actually make matters worse as certain Pupils may possibly seek revenge.

Police have attended school assemblies to speak to Pupils today and are also standing guard whilst schools are being let out. Thanks to Knowsley Council. Our kids have little leisure facilities and the gangs are a way of the kids making their own entertainment.

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