Bedlam breaks out across county
Thursday 1st January 2009, 11:04AM GMT.
This was the tranquil scene in The Square, Shrewsbury, as the clock struck midnight. Just one hour later BEDLAM broke out across the county.
Thirty people were arrested and police cells were operating at capacity as “Bedlam” broke out across Shropshire during New Year celebrations.
One police officer described the scene unfolding as “manic” after trouble flared from about 1.30am.
Inspector Nigel Humphries said police had to open extra custody cells at Oswestry, which were filled within 15 minutes, and were trying to find accommodation for prisoners with other police forces. He said the worst offenders were men, and most were arrested for assault or public order offences.
“We are absolutely heaving under the sheer volume of prisoners,” he said. “There was not a cell space left in the force. We even had to open the cells in Oswestry which we don’t normally do and we filled that within 15 minutes with four prisoners.
“People can’t behave themselves on New Year once they have had a few beers and a lot of people have ruined their New Year. We were running round like maniacs from 1am onwards.
“For about three to four hours it was just bedlam, with silly people who just would not behave themselves. It’s all assaults, some worse than others, and silly public order stuff,” he said.Mr Humphries said the night had been busier than previous years.
“We were even trying to get prisoners to cells in outside forces,” he said.
“I have worked New Year before and I don’t remember it being that busy.
“Up until about 1.30am people seemed to be in the pubs and clubs enjoying themselves, and then it just went mad.
“It’s been a fair old mix of people in the street and then house parties that have gone wrong with guests playing up.”
West Midlands Ambulance Service reported receiving almost 1,300 calls between midnight and 5am today
Rob Ashford, service chief operating officer, said: “The region averaged almost 300 calls an hour for the first five hours of 2009.”
Reveller Damian Durnall, 23, from Pant, was out celebrating in Oswestry. He said the town was a good place to see in the New Year, but complained fights often broke out.
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More overtime and job security for the Public sector. More alcohol tax for HMG. Rocketing sales for the firework industry {pun intended}. Theres only the guy with the swollen lip and a torn vomit covered shirt out of pocket..and he probably deserved it!
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More overtime and job security for the public sector? How exactly?
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How is this bedlam accross the county? It was oswestry. Don’t tar the rest of us with the same brush as that lot of yokles, farmers and boy racers!
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i find it difficult to celebrate the end of one rotten year and the start of a much worse year to come. i was in no mood for hootenay, elton john or fireworks
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the time to celebrate the new year is on the night of 30th june. nice warm night, a barbecue in the garden, friends and neighbours round etc. the australians etc are very lucky and could teach us a thing or two, huddled round the fire as we are in -5 degrees of frost outside. oh hey ho roll on may. we might have a nice warm summer this year after all this frost, especially as the weatherforcasters are saying it will be a mild and wet jan. and feb. anyone for a barbecue?
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this shows labours idea of tough on crime, no idea on law and order, we need to get tougher with the thugs, bring back hanging
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I don’t know about Bedlam….
But, as I have said on another “new years eve thread” on the S/star forum … as always, we played (as a rock band) on news years eve, and finally, after packing up our equipment, I drove home, through bridgnorth low town to high town at about 1.30 am.
On the way – I saw several police cars, Vans Mobile CCTV etc – but very few poeple.
One police car was very badly parked half away across the low town bridge, causing an obstruction, with no-one about other than its driver.
Proceeding onwards Towards high town, another police car pulled out sharply in front of me on the mini island just before Whitburn street, cut across the second island at the foot of Whitburn street, and proceeded to drive slowly up Whitburn street, holding me up behind.
Again – there was virtually no-one about.
I strongly suspect the officers in the car were “playing for time” hoping they’d find something wrong via a PNC check with my vehicle whilst I was “trapped behind” following them at a snails pace
(BUT – sorry lads – my vehicle is TOTALLY legal – and, when we play /drive – we don’t drink either )
So – My lasting impresion of “bedlam” in Bridgnorth at 1.30 pm was lots of police about, displaying, in my opinion, a low standard of driving.
So – Had I had driven in that manner, I would have expected to have been pulled up, and at the least breathalysed – and even perhaps repoeted for driving without due care etc.
I was not impressed. So – maybe there is another side to the “bedlam story”
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I think Devon has a point. Technically New Year is staggered around the world, so perhaps we could stagger our celebration? Townsbeginning with A on 31st, B 1st Jan, C the 2nd etc but roatating the cycle every year so next year B on 31st and so on.
I know Shrewsbury would be clebrating on the 18th Jan 2009, but in 2027 it would be their turn to celebrate on the 31st December. Surley a small price to play.
Of course a strict curfew would have to put in place to stop people from Zennor gate crashing Aberdeen, but thats a small price to pay.
Sometimes think my talents are wasted when I has such good ideas.
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The lax attitude of the law to pubs and clubs is to blame for this. Existing law forbids them to continue serving alcohol to anyone who is drunk. There are very hefty penalties for anyone serving alcohol to drunks. If this was enforced, with pubs being heavily fined, or closed down altogether, the problem would disappear.
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Ban alcohol? The English nation clearly cannot handle the substance, time and time again i read about “drink” related incidents, Men that turn into little childish idiots after consuming as much as they possibly can, women turning into pathetic trashy loud mouthed embarrassments. Really please….what is the point? If you cannot consume a reasonable amount of alcohol without turning into something you live to regret the next day why bother? They say we learn from our peers, no wonder Englands youth are messed up.
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Bedlam in Shropshire indeed. Frankly I’m not surprised. I was born in the county and lived there up until a few years ago. During that time I witnessed an increasing proportion of boorish and thuggish individuals wreaking havoc of a weekend.
It seems odd to me that the self same people who claim to be so proud of their towns and villages, as evidenced by their chanting and general demeanour at football matches played around the county, quickly forget that they are ambassadors for their beloved homes, and not particularly good ones, as they set upon each other and property with the sole purpose of causing as much damage as possible.
I have enjoyed weekends out and new year eves in many places, such as Birmingham, Cardiff and Nottingham, and never have I witnessed such mindlessness and the presence of so many unsophisticated people as I have in Shrewsbury.
Of course, it would be easy to laugh off the town’s problems with antisocial behaviour, but for the many reasonable people living there it is the all too common problem of a selfish minority spoiling it for everyone else.
If I was a visitor to the county at new year, having witnessed the problems that occurred I would think twice about coming back again. Without visitors, some of the county’s businesses will not survive. Who would want to shop or invest in an area prowled by drunken thugs? What would be the point of starting up a business in a county that gives the perception of being inhabited by imbeciles? My first concern would be where would I recruit my staff from.
Unfortunately bad behaviour is a way of life to some, and in Shropshire I see it becoming a way of life to an increasing percentage.
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