PC stamps out street drinking in Stoke

“Nooneshome and Dizzy1960, these people you are describing as low-lifes and scroats do you know them or their circumstances? It its harsh to class everyone at the Sally in this way. The vast majority of the residents are decent people who have hit upon a difficult time in their lives for numerous reasons and in their time of need have nowhere else to turn to for the help and support they want and need; they come from all walks of life. The staff are tasked with a difficult and demanding job helping and supporting people who are at their lowest to turn their life around, I won't deny that there are those who refuse this help and support. and give the person hope and confidence for when they eventually move on into employment and independent accomodation. If it wasn't for the Sally and other organizations like them, these people would have no other option to live on the streets and fall into the spiral of crime and substance abuse.”

“Mrs Wivens and myself rented our first house in Stoke, just up Hill Street, when there were still houses there (maybe there still are, I haven't been up there for years.) We didn't stay there long, being so close to the (then) council flats, the pubs, the centre and the Sally made it not a particularly pleasant place to live. We soon wearied of the drunken violence, screaming, shouting, and seemingly endless petty crime that went on. Drunks fighting in your forecourt every Friday and Saturday night, and people letting themselves into your back yard to relieve themselves or be sick does tend to put you off an area. Shame though, it was actually a nice little house and we got on very well with the neighbours. This was in the mid '80s when the potbanks were still open and people were out drinking their wages and not benefit money, thus demonstrating that it's not unemployment that causes these problems.. before any of our self-appointed "spokespersons" of the left choose to chip in with that particular article of faith.

As to the Sally, oddly enough I'm not so hostile. Yes there are plenty of unpleasant drunken druggie scum who both stay there and congregate around the place, I should know, but that's always been the point of the Salvation Army hasn't it? To rescue those on the bottom of the heap and try to turn them around. There are good people who work at the SA and more to the point, there are some good people who stay there, they're just down on their luck. Everyone has the rough patches in their lives, even me, and you can't condemn someone for being hard up or down and out in and of themselves, only for the actions that they choose to undertake. And if it wasn't for the Sally and places like it, where would the good and the bad go to? They have to go somewhere and there are worse places for them to be than there.”

“Stoke is a hell-hole and thats being kind. You'd have to do a new-york style cops on every street corner to clean this place up, but its the same everywhere in S-O-T. Shame on the rabble who spoil it”

“PC McMillan may be doing a fine job but Stoke is far from clean of alcoholics on the streets (and from dog walkers not prepared to scoop up for that matter).

Only the other day, two drunks sat on the wall of our office and threw their empties over the wall. When asked by one of our members of staff 'did you find it there?' our staff member was met with foul mouthed abuse.

Staff, students and residents are often pestered for money and feel intimidated on many occasions. There are also a group of drunks who sit on the seat at the corner of the graveyard drinking from 8.00am and it's not hard to spot the 'traffic' to the cornershop in Lonsdale Street coming out with their blue carrier bags full of strong cider.

In my humble opinion, Stoke town is far from clean and we rue the day we ever relocated there!”

“About time the low-lifes from the sally were sorted out, but you'd have thought our police would have sorted it out a long time ago, especially when Class A drugs are also involved. Mind you, those who either serve or work in Stoke aren't really bothered what goes on in the town or how its to be developed, because they don't live there. Shame for the minority who do have concerns about there community, because they'll never make a change to better the area for their future generations without the support of others within the community and past experiences have proved they aren't the type to stand up and support.”

“Send him up Hanley and get rid of the scum from Burton stores or the aptly named Pig Pen grunt grunt”

“PC James McMillan, well done. Your efforts ARE appreciate by the majority.”

“Good for him! Can we have a few more like him please?”

“Nooneshome those lads ur calling scoats are smithys mstes let me tell u, they r good lads just aving a few beers wats rong wiv that? They on limited benefits so cant go pub for a good time”

“Can we have the same in Longton please? And while they're at it can they start on the litter louts!”