I just saw Sir Alan Sugar being interviewed on TV, being asked his thoughts on the rioting.

One of the key points he made struck a chord with me.

Sir Alan voiced concern that the police would, once again, be made scapegoats for the way in which the violence has been handled. He stated that he had a lot of sympathy for the police.

I agree 100% with his concerns. It has happened time and time again where the police are involved in trying to keep the peace, protect the public and their property and so on. Then as soon as the risks have diminished the police become the subject of enquiries into their heavy-handed approach or their mis-handling of the situation. The violence of the last few days is outside of what constitutes their normal remit. These are extreme situations  which require extreme responses. The problem is that the hands of the police are tied firmly by the law of this land but the thugs & thieves are not abiding by those same laws. So they, the thugs, can attack the public and the police with scaffold poles, bricks and bottles or anything else they can lay their hands on. The police are restricted to using the tools issued to them. Tools, which for the most part are inadequate for dealing with the situations that they have encountered throughout the weekend. Many of the officers on duty have entered the zones of violence have done so without riot gear. The risk to them is simply unacceptable.

It cannot be acceptable that we  can penalise our police for meeting force with force. And if, on occasions, the miscreants are the ones that come off worst then so be it

There is no excuse for the violent criminal actions of the thugs that took to the streets of London over the weekend.

The riots appear to have been triggered by the death on Thursday of Mark Duggan, shot by police. That in isolation may have given rise to anger amongst some members of the community. It certainly appears to have led to some 300 people marching from the Broadwater Estate and gathering outside Tottenham police station. They were apparently demanding “justice” for Duggans family.

Would these same people have demanded “justice” had the bullet that was embedded in the policeman’s radio actually found its way into his heart ? Would these same people have marched had Duggan survived and the policeman died. I think not.

What do these people know of justice ?

It is always sad and regrettable when somebody dies regardless of who is responsible. But you have to ask whose was the illegal firearm that was recovered at the scene of Duggans demise ?

What is totally incomprehensible if the rioting that occurred over such a wide area. From Brixton, south of the river, through Islington, Tottenham, Walthamstow and on out to Enfield to the North.

This just smacks of opportunism and anarchy. The darker elements in our communities taking advantage of a situation, the death of Duggan, and bending it to their own purposes. To excuse their actions and to justify terrorising their communities.

And let’s be clear, these thugs are no better than the terrorists who attack our tube trains and busses. They have damaged businesses and private property with total disregard for the people of their own communities that they have terrified.

These thugs should be handled and dealt with in the same way as any other terrorist.

One can only imagine what the families and friends of the victims are going through let alone how numbed the Norwegians must be as a nation.