The savage streets

Another day, another dad beaten to death by a gang of youths.

The youths launched their attack just a few yards from Mr Wass's home in Loxley, Sheffield, after he came out of his house at 11.30pm on Saturday night and asked the gang to be quiet.

The police, of course, were nowhere to be seen as they long ago retreated from the streets to the comfort of their motor cars and corporate headquarters. That really doesn't matter much anyway as the march of the "rights" brigade and the awareness of these rights by such youths usually means that the police, even if they are around, can do nothing except arrest the homeowners who "take the law into their own hands".

As it's usually a group of "youths" - rarely one on his own - they can then make up whatever story they like and get the dad arrested - usually claiming an assault. In the absence of the rule of law, the tyranny of the mob will reign supreme.

But if the police aren't around, the trouble making youths will just kick, beat and stone the dad to death - or, if he's really unlucky, into a dribbling vegetable. They know they are unlikely to get caught and punished and they know that even if they are it will only mean a few months in some cushy youth offending institute.

No doubt there will be more pleading for understanding from the bleeding heart liberals; more claims from the progressives that crime isn't really that bad - it's just our imagination and "fear"; more social scientist statistics to demonstrate that crime is falling .... honestly, and more assurances from the distant police forces that they are "determined" to bring those who commit such acts to justice - followed by more arrests of people trying to stop gangs of youths pissing in their gardens.

The only reason crime falls is because the law-abiding take more and more steps to avoid being victims of crime. What that means in real terms is that more and more people are locking themselves into their homes and not venturing outside for any reason - particularly at night.

That's the Britain of today - the social liberal Britain where we are forced to imprison ourselves every night because the criminals rule the streets.