An Uxbridge town centre fight involving about 70 youths, many of them in school uniform, has sparked strong reactions from people living in the area.
The brawl, which took place at about 5.30pm on Monday (September 10) in the High Street outside the Pavilions shopping centre is being investigated by Metropolitan Police and resulted in a 48-hour Section 35 Dispersal Zone being put in place throughout the town centre.
Video footage published on getwestlondon shows a huge crowd shouting and people fighting in the town centre, particularly outside the Clarks shoe shop.
The "chaos" captured on camera showed multiple youths dressed in different school uniforms and plain dress included in the crowds which, according to one witness "swarmed" the street.
Several schools in the area were contacted by police following the mass fight which injured one person and the force stated that "those identified will be dealt with".
Getwestlondon readers have also responded strongly to the incident by commenting on our Facebook page and Twitter. Here is how you have viewed the events of Monday evening.
Brogan Sheehy expressed a popular opinion among readers, that the children involved should be "named and shamed".
She wrote: "Name and shame every single one and their parents. Would LOVE to see what they think of their, probably ‘they would have never hurt a fly’ ‘they weren’t that type of kid’, brats. DISGUSTING"
While Brogan believes parents should take the responsibility for their children's bad behaviour, Kayley O'Brien thinks schools should take action as well.
She commented: "The schools need to take action. If I were a head of a school I would play the footage in assembly and get the students to stand when they see themselves!
"Let’s hope they address each individual. If they decide to do nothing this will be the start of many behavioural issues to come in and around the area. Its not about Ofsted grading and meeting requirements when they allow this type of disgusting behaviour.
"I would not tolerate this from my child so I hope parents are acting too."
Mary Loveridge argued that it is not the school's responsibility what a child does out of hours. The fight took place at about 5.30pm, while pupils in school uniforms started congregating in the High Street from 4pm according to witnesses who worked in the shops nearby.
Mary said: "I don't understand why people are blaming the schools? Once school is finished and the pupil leaves the ground they are the parents responsibility. I know they were wearing uniform but are the schools really responsible for the behaviour?"
Viv Tomlinson Dukes believes the actions taken by police are too late, given the unprecendented fight has already happened.
She said: "What’s the point , not gonna have a repeat of yesterday
A day too late
"
Kristina Hills believes too much of a deal is being made out of discussions about who is responsible.
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She commented: "Not the schools fault it’s the people that attend, schools just there to educate them not teach them how to behave when out in public on there own, it’s down to the children and there parents, I do feel cctv needs to screenshot faces to identify those involved with help from the schools for appropriate action to be taken"
Harjinder Coutts was upset by some schools in Uxbridge not admitting that pupils from their institiutions were involved in the clash.
Harjinder wrote: "Typical of schools ! They should be working with the police to stop this behaviour! How can they deny it when there are witness statements and video !!!"
On hearing that pupils from different schools had been in Uxbridge High Street for hours before the fight broke out, Katy Wyatt commented:
" If they were there for that long why weren't police being vigilant about possibilities of something progressing
"
Vicky Jones believes that social media may have a role to play in the coordination of the fight.
She wrote: "Social media to blame. There is no other way the word would spread throughout all the school's. Name & shame it's disgusting & the parents of them involved should turn the kids in"
Sandra Dance thinks that the crackdown on those involved should be tough, in a similar response to football hooliganism.
Sandra said: "If this is ignored it will keep happening, when this happens at a football match the police view cctv footage to identify the trouble makers...they say they are school kids but if they are old enough to fight like that they are old enough to face the consequences.
"The man in the white Tsshirt was attacked and punched so hard! Please someone do something about this...it's only going to get worse!!!!"
