Town's Estate Not As Bad As We Really Needed For This Report

A report that another town news outlet was hoping to make on the toughness of a Swindon housing estate didn't have the outcome that our fellow reporters wished.

The report in the Swindon Advertiser about Penhill, saw an account on the area's problems with anti-social behaviour. The reporter spent an evening on the estate, trying to sniff out any roaming gangs which have been ''reported to us''.

One group of kids are seen hanging around Welcombe Stores, causing no trouble, indeed, they are in full view of CCTV cameras.

An investigation was made following the news early last week of Derek Holmes, who was stamped on in an attack on Tuesday evening.

Swindon Centric Says ; The demonising of estates throughout the town only creates ill-feeling between areas, which itself can breed crime and fear of crime that isn't really there. It's time that the whitewashing of Penhill, Pinehurst, Toothill, Park North and Park South as no-go areas was changed, then perhaps bigotted attitudes would fade away also.

We forget too easily the phrase 'we have nothing to fear but fear itself'.