In 2014, when Boris was Mayor of London, he purchased 3 second hand German Water Cannon, after rioting Anarchist mobs had left parts of London severely damaged.
He paid £320,000 for their purchase and renovation, but their use was instantly banned by Theresa May, and they remained, unused, in storage.
Now that we have a Socialist Mayor of London, a certain Mr Sadiq Khan, they have been sold for scrap for just £11,025.
Personally, like Boris, I think a good soaking of unruly rioters is quite a reasonable method of crowd control; but the snowflake generation think not. Maybe there should have been a referendum on their use.
So, well done Khan; I hope the rate-payers loss of over £300,000 is coming out of your own pocket.
I am afraid water cannons always make me think of third world countries. There are some very nasty sound machines around now to deal with protestors, quite evil really. I think a bit of biffo by the cops should be allowed when dealing with non compliant.
ReplyDeleteI've just been reading that the current craze of 'Moped Crime' in London (gangs riding around on mopeds, stealing, stabbing, throwing acid, etc) is now being met by police knocking them off their bikes with patrol cars. Sounds reasonable to me!
DeleteI too saw that and what a good idea to give them a bump on the mopeds. I have yet to watch any footage. I'm saving the good stuff.
DeleteWe heard the basics of this story on our news but not why they were never used. I think they would be a wonderful weapon. Why didn't they haggle with our govt. I'm sure we could have afforded them at that great discount price and they would have been perfect for central Athens hits that riot and throw fire bombs. Pity
ReplyDeleteIt did seem a reasonable response to some of the appalling behaviour we were seeing. I'm still not quite sure why Mrs May (now Prime Minister) banned them. Against their 'Human Rights' perhaps.
DeleteMaybe we can buy some of those big helicopters that dump tons of water on forest fires. I'm sure The Donald would sell us a few and throw in a couple of Chicago Police water cannons as a sweetener. With Spain threatening Britain's EU divorce over Gibraltar at the last minute looks like we'll be turning more and more to the USA for our essentials. So let's make a start. Time to make the UK-US special relationship great again!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was married (in Gibraltar) the Spaniards had closed the border. The only people to suffer were the Spanish workers who relied on their Brit' salaries to survive. We, ourselves, had to enter Gib' via Morocco, then fly out direct back to London. They soon opened the border again, once they realised the damage they were doing (to themselves).
DeleteTypical of the modern namby-pamby approach to civil disorder. I feel really sorry for our police and security forces facing howling rioters throwing bricks and petrol bombs with nothing more than riot shields and batons.
ReplyDeleteThese things would have levelled the playing field a little bit.
Maybe their Mummies would have complained if they'd returned home with their Anarchist T shirts all wet.
DeleteThe water cannon were purchased at the request of the Met Commissioner at the time, Bernard Hogan-Howe. Following consultations with representative groups of Londoners, every ethnic group was in support. Theresa May turned down the use of the cannon on the grounds of health and safety. The order had already gone in for them so delivery was taken.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, The Met' initiated the purchase. Mrs May may yet have time to regret her intervention!
DeletePity the French government didn't buy them, we'd have been home a lot earlier this week. Its beyond me how protesters can light tyres, burn down toll booths and cause chaos and injury while the police look on.
ReplyDeleteThe Unions are beyond the law, as they used to be back in the UK. Macron is weak; Thatcher was tough.
DeleteYou can see now how they use the water canon in the Champs Elysee s if you watch Facebook live map.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a war zone there.
ReplyDeleteTear gas already in use against the first of the peaceful yellow jacket protestors who are making their way to Paris's place de la concorde according to Austrian news. Helicopters circling overhead.
Delete67% of French support the yellow jacket protestors according to same news bulletin.
DeleteIf their bad behaviour results in cheaper petrol I shall have to applaud them.... if not their methods.
Deleterent a mob infiltrating the protest again by the look of it - who pays these people - don't tell me I know
DeleteWell said, Colonel Blimp.
ReplyDeleteThank 'ee, kind sir.
DeleteYou might be interested in the Metropolitan Police's latest tactic to reduce moped crime in the city. They drive the police cars straight at them and knock them off their bikes. Simple but effective. So far, moped crime has been reduced by 40%.
DeleteI've seen the videos; seems effective!
DeleteSurely Boris lost us the money when he bought something controversial without clearing it with authority first.
ReplyDeleteThey were originally ordered by The Metropolitan Police. The only person they answer to, being The Home Secretary (Mrs May).
DeleteI see the great unwashed managed to hijack the yellow vests demo. Who pays these people! I remember in the 1980s they got a fiver to 'keep it going for another half an hour lads' which is when the the turned up. What's the equivalent of five pounds nearly forty years on. Good money if you can get it. To every French anarchist if they're not paying you twenty-five euro an hour you're being conned.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the Great Unwashed require a good washing.
DeleteIn this country, peaceful demonstrations are a thing of the past. They always get hi-jacked by the far left or the far right.
ReplyDeleteAnd their 'crackpot causes' are usually equally extreme.
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