Burly Security Guard required; would suit strong armed geezer....

Every time I go to the Angel Centre or Sainsbury's after about 8 o'clock this time of the year even a big guy like me feels slightly intimidated by the groups of young kids hanging around. So imagine how a old frail lady feels if it makes me feel a little on edge. When I say kids, I mean they are usually youths in their mid to late teens, often the size of fully grown adults, and often under the infuence of that dangerous cocktail of a little alcohol (or worse) a lot of hormones, and a high level of under-confident bravardo and false cockiness, which serves to cover up their low self esteem. They swagger round the concrete jungle that is the Angel complex (surely the worst example of 1970s planning in the area) they shout at passers by, they sit blocking the pathway, they swig from bottles of cheap alcopops, they spit, they curse, they squeeze their zits all over the place. But let's not be too hard on them because, let's face it, it wasn't that long ago that many of us were doing the same thing, when we were too old to go to the youth club and too young to go to most pubs and clubs. It's easy to talk about how the youth of today has a lack of respect, are lazy etc etc but wasn't it ever thus and didn't most, not all but most, of us turn out alright? On the whole I think that the Angel centre has a bit of a control problem which needs sorting out and I would propose two measures: a slightly increased police presence would help to keep them in check; but more importantly there ought to be a full time security guard walking around the centre and the complex. Who pays for him (or maybe her) is up to the council, but Tonbridge blog is certain that there is no substitute for a burly bloke in a uniform wandering menacingly around the place to stop teenagers from getting too unruly or from nicking stuff from lockers and the like. Last night many young children were around the centre for a dance performance by Hillview School and community projects (which, by the way, was excellent) and there was a bit of an incident involving one youth, which quickly fizzled out. What would have happened if he'd been a bit older, a bit more pissed and a bit more cocky is anybody's guess. Time to spend the money on a bit of extra security in the form of a strong armed geezer....