Trouble in Porty

Gizmo · Post by **Gizmo** » 09 Mar 2007, 23:52

Anyone seen the 30+ teens fighting down Bath Street a few minutes ago? very scary stuff. Verbal to start with I think, then 1/2 ran away but came back armed with bricks and sticks. Police here at last, but the teens have probably run away by now. Hate seeing that level of violence - what on earth could have happened to make it worth attacking each other with weapons?

Do you know where your kids are tonight???? Majority looked about 14 ish male and female but some older ones were yielding sticks and attacking the younger ones.

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 10 Mar 2007, 00:00

Ah just posted re police incident. Looks like the same one. Clanger 4 was at freinds house In Bath St but got home before this all kicked off.
Been down to check the cars and thers several half bicks and such like in the road. oicked them up and put them in the bins as it s too temptinfg next to car windscreens.
See some one giving statement to police out there at present.

Gizmo · Post by **Gizmo** » 10 Mar 2007, 00:04

Yeah, we went out and checked our car, which is thankfully still in one piece so far......

Saw one young lad being arrested, think he was crying! Suspect he wasn't one of the main hard guys somehow

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 10 Mar 2007, 00:10

If it was the same guy I saw being arrested he started out all bravado swearing etc and "resisting" a bit. They were marching him along in an arm lock.
Found several discarded half bricks down there.
Had heard the usual shouting etc tonight then a thunder of running feret as the teens made their escape up Regent and Marlborough St. Suprising number of girls amongst them.
And here was me moaning about running Baby Dragon's boyfriend home an hour earlier. At least we know they're safe

Gizmo · Post by **Gizmo** » 10 Mar 2007, 00:14

absolutely, best to be home safe. I saw some poor sods having to drive through it and 1 lone female keeping her head down trying to walk past them all to go home I guess. One remarkable lady across the road from us (not you was it?) went out and did her damndest to get the kids to drop the sticks and stop fighting. Very admirable. I would never have the bottle to do that

Feel a bit shaken by it all actually

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 10 Mar 2007, 00:21

Nope wasn't me, we're round the corner. Dont know if I'd be brave enough to confront them.. Mr Soupy and I have remonstrated with the like in the past and ended up with stone thrown at windows and false allegations made to police

Hope no one was hurt. they do seem to have armed themselves with the contents of a skip, could have been nasty

Gizmo · Post by **Gizmo** » 10 Mar 2007, 00:30

yup, nasty indeed. When they were running up Bath Street one young lad who was running with a stick, so I have little sympathy, took one hell of a fall onto the road. Must have hurt like hell. Then he got thumped by an older guy also yielding a stick.
Nice place we live.

Nobody else up and about to provide more views on what happened tonight?!!

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 10 Mar 2007, 00:35

Perhaps they're all hiding.

Mr Soupy and Clanger 2 were through the back in the kitchen/ living room , watching tv ( WWE I think ) and didn't hear anything

It was only when I went to ask youngest if his other pal was home safe that they found out there was something going on out there.

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 10 Mar 2007, 01:15

Yup, my sitting room is absolutely coated in broken glass. The police were great, as were the neighbours, who swept up and boarded up the window as best they could.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 10 Mar 2007, 08:25

rapunzell wrote:Yup, my sitting room is absolutely coated in broken glass. The police were great, as were the neighbours, who swept up and boarded up the window as best they could.

Sorry to hear that, R.

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 10 Mar 2007, 09:12

Oh dear, didn't see that, Rapunzell, I'd have come along and helped.
Must have been a fright for you.

Jamesie · Post by **Jamesie** » 10 Mar 2007, 10:39

This is not a new phenomenon. The Police have been regularly called out to Windsor Place and the surrounding environs over the last month or so to deal with similar clusters of violent youths.

I reckon the majority aren't even from Portobello and merely descend on us from places like Niddrie and Craigmillar like plagues of night time locusts.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 10 Mar 2007, 10:57

Jamesie wrote:I reckon the majority aren't even from Portobello and merely descend on us from places like Niddrie and Craigmillar like plagues of night time locusts.

It won't all be 'outsiders' Jamesie ,but to back up your point, I teach in another part of the city (not Niddrie/Craigmiller, though I did once upon a time and met some really nice kids there so please don't blame them for all Porty's troubles) and recently over heard one of the 4th year boys being threatened by one of the girls in the class with a 'kickin' from some of her Porty mates - he obviously knew exactly who she meant.

Don't think gangs of youths fighting is a problem confined to Porty, but that's not much solace to the residents of Bath street today.

Rapunzell, shocked and saddened to hear about your window. Glad your neighbours rallied round.

edit: inserted 'not' before 'much solace'

Jamesie · Post by **Jamesie** » 10 Mar 2007, 11:23

Marya wrote:
Jamesie wrote:(not Niddrie/Craigmiller, though I did once upon a time and met some really nice kids there so please don't blame them for all Porty's troubles)

I won't blame them entirely Marya, but a majority of those I see coming down Windsor Place are often coming off the bridge which links St Marks Place to the bottom of the golf course - this would suggest they are either coming from further afield than Portobello.

The trouble we are experiencing on Windsor Place and the surrounds at the moment is certainly not instigated by individuals from the surrounding streets.

I'm sure the Evening News ran an article a year or so ago where the Police acknowledged that gangs were targeting Portobello on weekend evenings as their choice venue for battling. Looks like the problem is only getting worse.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 10 Mar 2007, 11:39

Fair enough Jamesie, but I've also heard the police in the past report to the CC that while there certainly have been cases of kids coming from other parts (even Prestonpans) many of the kids they are called out to deal with come from otherwise quite respectable homes in Joppa.

foxy · Post by **foxy** » 10 Mar 2007, 11:54

Rapunzell, sorry to hear what happened...hope you'e not too shook up

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 10 Mar 2007, 16:55

Hey guys, what a night! Thanks for the messages. I had no idea there was such drama and viciousness going on in the street as all was peaceful several doors through at the back of the house. First I knew was a sound like an explosion from much too close for comfort.

Must have taken a fast bowler's arm to get a lump that weight through double-glazed toughened glass *and* still take a chunk out of the floor where it landed. Mind you, they were managing to do car widscreens without much difficulty.

I'm just off to phone Mica to see if they can deliver a bit of wood to replace last night's one.

Gizmo · Post by **Gizmo** » 10 Mar 2007, 17:39

poor you. Horrible thing to happen. Lucky that you weren't in the same room at the time though. Would have been even scarier I am sure

babba-licious · Post by **babba-licious** » 10 Mar 2007, 17:42

I am so furious!!! Just driving along Porty High Street and as i was getting to the lights at the corner of the high street i see a boy beeting a man up with lots of people watching...now i understand that people are scared to get involved but when the boy walked away no one even asked the man if he was ok or tried to help him!!!
My blood is boiling!!!!

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 10 Mar 2007, 18:31

Another thank you to the very kind neighbouring friends who did more sweeping, binning and boarding this afternoon - including our own Granty who did the Mica run for plyboard!

It is quite sobering to look around the room today. If I or anyone else had been in there at the time it wouldn't have been possible to avoid injury, either from the flying shards of glass or that missile. That thing could have killed someone, if it had hit the head of whoever it was being aimed at.

babba-licious · Post by **babba-licious** » 10 Mar 2007, 18:37

Ok... have calmed down slightly... Think i just needed a bit of a rant. It seems i came just towards the end of the man being beaten up and actually a group of 4 - 6 young boys did try and eventually managed to intervene... so they aint all bad. I was just so shocked to see something like that happen in broad daylight on a busy street (corner of bath street and portobello high street, right opposite Greggs) in the area i live.
I feel so upset after having seen this... what is wrong with people!!!
Really hope the man is alright... he was in severe shock when i spoke to him just before the police came.

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 10 Mar 2007, 19:04

babba-licious wrote:Ok... have calmed down slightly... Think i just needed a bit of a rant. It seems i came just towards the end of the man being beaten up and actually a group of 4 - 6 young boys did try and eventually managed to intervene... so they aint all bad. I was just so shocked to see something like that happen in broad daylight on a busy street (corner of bath street and portobello high street, right opposite Greggs) in the area i live.
I feel so upset after having seen this... what is wrong with people!!!
Really hope the man is alright... he was in severe shock when i spoke to him just before the police came.

That is a horrible thing to witness, quite a shock for you, and all the harder for the indignation that goes with it! I think it is Spain that has a bylaw for charging onlookers who didn't help (presumably only if it was safe to have done so).

Gizmo · Post by **Gizmo** » 10 Mar 2007, 20:45

just seen hoards of girls heading towards the prom. Hope we don't have a repeat of last night

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 10 Mar 2007, 21:26

I heard there were around thirty kids fighting here last night? I suppose if those thirty sets of parents thought their kids were elsewhere last night, they may be none the wiser tonight..

Gizmo · Post by **Gizmo** » 10 Mar 2007, 21:42

I did a rough count last night of the kids I could see and I counted 24 but they were all running away, so would imagine that there were quite a few more than that chasing them that I couldn't see! I would estimate 30+

nice and quiet so far........

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 10 Mar 2007, 22:23

There's been a group of teenagers ( none of them mine!) hanging round the disabled access toilet on the Prom. Seems to attract them like moths. Think they may be different from last nights group

Mostly harmless

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 10 Mar 2007, 22:44

Are there any good youth clubs and sports grounds round here for the kids to attend at night? Harness their tendencies and burn off that energy on assault courses and paintball etc..

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 10 Mar 2007, 23:06

No
doubt most of them would attend.

My mostly harmless may have been optimistic as there's smashed bottles out there now and a smashed pot plant or two.
My" I'd be too scared to get involved" gave way when i heard glass breaking. I went down thinking it might be windows or cars ( again) but it was bottles. They'd run of by then, but thank you to Mr Soupy and Clanger 2 who came down behind me for protection

There are under 18 "discos2 at the top of the walk on a Saturday night I believe.
my 2 youngest used to go to Studio 24 which was an altenative club but thats had to close, although the over 18s still runs there.

tom nimmo · Post by **tom nimmo** » 11 Mar 2007, 12:36

I've lived in the Portobello area all my life and, having read through this thread, I can't really see that it is any worse here than it was when I was a teenager in the 1960s. Portobello has always been, and always will be, an area that attracts teenagers. My Dad was brought up in Coatbridge and he maintained that Portobello was actually more dangerous than his hometown on a Saturday night when the pubs all shut at 10.00 and people were congregating at the 42 and 12 bus stop. I bet if you looked at the statistics you would find that the assaults and disturbances that happen in Portobello over the course of a year are mostly committed by drunken adults rather than teenagers. Remember what it was like when you and your 'gang' went out on a weekend. You were too young to go to the pub so you filched whatever drink you could from your parents' stash and, once consumed, you got a bit louder and a bit more confident in your own infallibility. Remember too that in your 'gang' there was always one or two who would take it too far and the rest of you got caught up in it as you didn't want to be left out of the action and look like a bit of a feardie. I can remember gang fights in Portobello where sticks, stones and bottles were visible but rarely actually used so, distressing as it obviously was for those caught up in it, the events of Friday night are not a sign that law and order has broken down. It is just teenagers being teenagers until they are old enough to become proper legal hooligans and binge drinkers like the grown-ups. Portobello is still a good place to live with loads of decent friendly people of all ages so I guess I am happy to stick around for a wee while longer.

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 11 Mar 2007, 18:27

sounds absolutely horrendous, and very scary for you Rapunzell. Glad to hear you are ok.

We were away on Saturday but didn't hear a thing on Friday and only two streets away

arachnid · Post by **arachnid** » 11 Mar 2007, 18:53

I've lived in the Portobello area all my life and, having read through this thread, I can't really see that it is any worse here than it was when I was a teenager in the 1960s.

I was also a teenager in Porty in the 60's, but I used to feel quite safe being out at night and walking from Portobello to Joppa. Didn't experience any of the gangs or street fights that are so common these days.
Here in Linlithgow we also have problems with vandalism and the occasional fights in the street.

Hope you've recovered from your ordeal Rapunzel. This is when you know who your friends are and they all rally round to help you!

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 11 Mar 2007, 19:50

I don't think Porty has changed over the years with regards to gangs, how safe I feel etc. When I was at at school I remember there was a gang called 'YPR', Young Porty Rebels but just like then, the majority of teenagers were/are decent people.

I cannot remember a missile being thrown through someone's window though and I lived in Bath Street for many years. Personally I think the perpetrator should be shot at dawn and anyone who thinks the 'poor dears have nothing else to do' made to fire the bullet.

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 11 Mar 2007, 20:23

It has helped to have you all be so supportive and kind, online and in the street!

I'm relieved that the brick missed whoever's head it was being aimed at and only hit a window. I think a few other windows further up the street were saved from poorly aimed rocks by having front gardens.

Of course, if I'd been in that room at the time it might have hit *my* head, so it is easier to be calm from this safe distance..

Izzie · Post by **Izzie** » 11 Mar 2007, 20:29

Sorry to hear about your window,but glad you are ok

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 12 Mar 2007, 09:31

It's not just the teenagers apparently. On Saturday afternoon (4.30ish) a grown man was doing a Number Two right in the middle of the High Street (outside RS McColl)

. He then proceeded to chuck boxes about, have a skirmish with a teenager who was walking past and then was arrested.