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Riot officers called as 200 pupils brawl outside school
Danny Brierley1 May 2009
Six teenagers were arrested and two taken to hospital following a mass brawl involving 200 pupils outside a south London school.
Police with riot shields were called to Ashburton Community School in Croydon to deal with teenagers armed with chair legs, bottles and a knife. The fight was said to have started during a row over a mobile telephone.
Residents in a street near the school, which is to become an academy run by a Christian education group, said the children were “like wild animals”.
John Stretton, who lives nearby, said: “My neighbour saw one of the pupils take glass bottles from someone's recycling bins and a length of timber. I saw a young fellow being chased by police, blood streaming from his head.
“It really was frightening to see the vast numbers of people involved. Unfortunately police were completely overwhelmed.”
The after-school fight disrupted traffic as pupils ran across roads.
Peter Merkell, owner of Shirley Road garage, said: “The kids were throwing punches and police blocked Shirley Road off by the school. The children have got no respect for anyone. You say something to them and they spit at you.”
Teachers gave chase and caught some youths. Headteacher Richard Warne said: “My staff were very supportive and did a lot to calm the situation.”
A nurse who lives opposite the school said she saw pupils at Croydon's Mayday hospital, although London Ambulance Service say only two were taken there by ambulance.
Four boys were arrested for violent disorder, three were bailed. Two girls were arrested. One, 15, was released and the other, 16, was charged with a public order offence and two counts of assaulting a police officer. She was bailed to attend Croydon youth court on 8 May.
Reader views (14)
What a tragedy. Easy to blame the kids but the sad truth is this picture of a frustrated generation who have been failed by British society with enormous potential slipping away. It takes a generation to raise a generation.
- D H, Coventry, 05/05/2009 10:35
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Another great New Labour education success!
What next I wonder - mass shootings I suppose?
- Lb, Bromley, 05/05/2009 01:13
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Anyone remember that bunch of nutters who called themselves, STOPP',School Teachers Opposed To Physical Punishment?
You did a grand job, folks. Thank you very much for todays broken society.
- Derek Jones, Stoke on Trent, 04/05/2009 16:53
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I teach in Southern Italy where the situation is in some ways much worse. There is no respect for teachers, however there is little real violence. The main problems are linked to corruption. The Russian and Ukrainian students are usually amongst the best for their intelligence, maturity and hard work. I blame the TV, especially shows like Big Brother that encourage children to be lazy, rude and selfish. It's the 'me first' couch potato generation that thinks that you only have to be on 'you tube' and the world will owe you a living.
- Lol, caserta, italy, 04/05/2009 12:30
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I've taught in inner city schools in Hampshire and West Yorkshire and now teach in Moscow. It's only by showing Russian colleagues articles like this that they believe the levels of violence in British schools. It's inconceivable here, Moscow of course, is violent in other ways. Discipline in Russian schools is a given and teachers are generally respected in society.
- Adam Hunt, Moscow Russia, 02/05/2009 16:50
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This Nu Labor society is a mess. Britain is not so great anymore...
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London, 02/05/2009 16:18
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Here we go again. It happens all over Croydon. Sheer scum.
- Trisha, East Croydon, 02/05/2009 00:37
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Why is it that people aged sixteen are now behaving with the level of maturity of people aged nine a generation ago? We used to thump each other with gusto, but go home with barely a bruise, and get this particular idiocy out of our system before puberty kicked in. Is it because young children are shielded from any physical adversity until they're old enough to do real damage to each other? We spent our childhood falling off bikes, so when we came to drive we knew what danger meant.
It may sound crazy when you contemplate this kind of behaviour, but what the young need urgently is more reponsibility at earlier in life (barring parenthood!)
- Mdj E10, london uk, 01/05/2009 21:11
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When is the law going to protect society from rampaging muggers thieves and rubbish like this lot, forget about hte economy , forget about piggy flu, any politician that stands on a true platform of
proper punishment for these thugs will win an election with a massive majority, i think the public woulkd support more detention centres and even corporal punishment if thst what it requires, but whatever it takes we want our streets, parks, schools, and public places policed and given back to the law abiding majority
- Brian, Wiltshire, 01/05/2009 19:40
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Give me "wild animals" instead of these savages any time. So much for what seems like an eternity of indulging, nurturing, excusing and pandering to 'kids' without a shred of guidance, control or discipline. It's made monsters who we all have to suffer.
- Judith C, London, UK, 01/05/2009 19:20
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I think it is terrible that these teenagers can't even be controlled by the teachers who are supposed to have authority at school. South London has a particularly bad reputation as an area filled with so much crime and gangs.
- Louise, London, 01/05/2009 18:24
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Not saying you should emigrate Chris, but I find it hard to believe your list doesn't go well over the 50 mark yet!
- Napoleon Blownaparte, London, 01/05/2009 17:05
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Same old problems and the same old crowd,very boring.
- David., Chertsey.UK., 01/05/2009 17:00
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Every time I read of an incident like this, as well as all the other nasty things that have been going on for years in this country, I add it to my list of "Reasons to emigrate". When it reaches 50, I'm off. Who needs this??
- Chris, London UK, 01/05/2009 15:59
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