Wrecked buses?

[Dirk Gently]

I'm told there were 3 Reading buses damaged before the match on Saturday - windows broken and lights smashed.

Anyone see this or know anything about it?

[RG30]

Only 1 bus that I heard. The glass was visible just before approaching the IDR.

[who are ya?]

Got a taxi from town and over the radio they sounded a tad nervous about the "nutters" from Bristol . Saw glass all over the road as you get nearer to the ground.

[punkindrublic]

i heard that seven buses gone done over, by the brizzle fans. did anyone get in trouble at there place?

[fridays child]

Believe that they had to walk back to town as buses wouldn't take them

[Sun Tzu]

Believe that they had to walk back to town as buses wouldn't take them

Don't the away fans use the same shuttle buses as the home fans ?

[North Somerset Royal]

According to the EP

Bus Attacked by Football Fans

February 23, 2009
Football, police and buses bosses are due to meet this afternoon after a bus inspector and two vehicles were attacked by fans on Saturday.

The damage happened to the shuttle buses from Reading railway station to the Madejski Stadium before the match between the Royals and Bristol City.

The number 79 buses were among 15 transporting both sets of supporters to the stadium.

Reading Transport is meeting Reading Football Club and Thames Valley Police today before releasing any further information.

Did you see the incidents? Contact Jonny Fordham on (0118) 918 3023 or leave a comment here.

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/

[Huntley & Palmer]

Believe that they had to walk back to town as buses wouldn't take them

Good, the inbred oxf*rd

[Big Foot]

Always the minority ruining it for the majority

[Billy The Fish]

I'm told there were 3 Reading buses damaged before the match on Saturday - windows broken and lights smashed.

Anyone see this or know anything about it?

Yes, saw 1 bus driving up to the stadium with the emergency exit swinging open and some idiot City supporter leaning out and shouting. As it went up Hurst Way some strip lights came flying out of the windows and smashed in the road. The driver just pulled up where all the police were waiting outside the back of the south stand and when we were buying our programs they were all having their details/photos taken and standing there looking like naughty children and feeling a bit foolish

"Wrecked" is seriously over-stating it.

[The Cube]

http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/newsevents/newsevents-pressreleases/newsevents-pressreleases-item.htm?id=67768

Tuesday 24 February 2009, 11:34am
Police can confirm that there was an incident involving criminal damage to two Reading buses on Saturday (21/2).

A meeting was held between police, Reading buses and Reading Football Club yesterday (23/2) to discuss the incident. These discussions are ongoing.

Five people were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.

A 21-year-old man from Trowbridge, a 23-year-old man from Devizes, a 16-year-old youth from Bristol, a 48-year-old man from Trowbridge and a 17-year-old man from Weston-Super-Mare were all released without charge.

Ch Insp Les Stone of Reading Police Operations said: “4,300 Bristol City fans came to Reading on Saturday and the vast majority were well behaved and cooperative, but unfortunately the actions of a few seem to have marred their reputation.

“We have an excellent working relationship with Reading buses and Reading Football Club and investigations into Saturday’s incident are continuing.”

Patrick Hogan, a 40-year-old man from Alston Walk, Caversham, was arrested and charged under Section 4 of the Public Order Act following an incident in Blagrave Street, Reading. He is due to appear at Reading Magistrates Court on 4 March.

[RoyalBlue]

http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/newsevents/newsevents-pressreleases/newsevents-pressreleases-item.htm?id=67768

Tuesday 24 February 2009, 11:34am
Police can confirm that there was an incident involving criminal damage to two Reading buses on Saturday (21/2).

A meeting was held between police, Reading buses and Reading Football Club yesterday (23/2) to discuss the incident. These discussions are ongoing.

Five people were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.

A 21-year-old man from Trowbridge, a 23-year-old man from Devizes, a 16-year-old youth from Bristol, a 48-year-old man from Trowbridge and a 17-year-old man from Weston-Super-Mare were all released without charge.

Ch Insp Les Stone of Reading Police Operations said: “4,300 Bristol City fans came to Reading on Saturday and the vast majority were well behaved and cooperative, but unfortunately the actions of a few seem to have marred their reputation.

“We have an excellent working relationship with Reading buses and Reading Football Club and investigations into Saturday’s incident are continuing.”

Patrick Hogan, a 40-year-old man from Alston Walk, Caversham, was arrested and charged under Section 4 of the Public Order Act following an incident in Blagrave Street, Reading. He is due to appear at Reading Magistrates Court on 4 March.

Fantastic!! CCTV etc. five arrested but not a single charge resulting. What first class policing (although they will probably blame the CPS).

Meantime what's the chance that the guy arrested and charged had been nowhere near the match but will still get put down as a football related crime, just to boost the stats in that area!

[Sun Tzu]

Just because they were released on the day doesn't mean they can't be rearrested. Quite possibly the CCTV footage isn't available instantaneously.

[Compo's Hat]

They're very clever people in the Westcountry! Attacking a bus that has CCTV on it

[Man Friday]

They were "acting in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace" when they got onto the buses at the station on Saturday. One they virually stormed and no one paid. All in the presence of a large number of police who should have got on the bus and got the "ring leaders" out. Too much effort Mr Plod?

[RoyalBlue]

Just because they were released on the day doesn't mean they can't be rearrested. Quite possibly the CCTV footage isn't available instantaneously.

Even if it isn't available instantaneously , I'm sure they can access it well within the time by which they either have to charge or release suspects.

And police don't have eyes in their heads?! Some even carry their own personal CCTV nowadays, hailed as a major step forward by the police as they have instant access to proper evidence and no need to write up copious notes.

How likely do you really think it is that any of them will be rearrested, let alone see the inside of a courtroom?!

They're very clever people in the Westcountry! Attacking a bus that has CCTV on it

Or perhaps they have sufficient experience of the police and other authorities to know they will do F all about it anyway!

[The Cube]

Fantastic!! CCTV etc. five arrested but not a single charge resulting. What first class policing (although they will probably blame the CPS).

Have to say that was the thing that jumped out when I saw the press release. I accept that the police can always go back to these guys later, but I reckon that it was more likely they decided to just run them out of town.

Reminded me a bit of the Hull police comments after the trouble at the Millwall Cup match. They said something like "We're confident we'll get them all in the end!". Well, if you couldn't get them when they were penned into a very small section of the KC stadium, I don't see whay chance you have now that they're scattered across South East London.

[bobby1413]

http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/newsevents/newsevents-pressreleases/newsevents-pressreleases-item.htm?id=67768

Tuesday 24 February 2009, 11:34am
Police can confirm that there was an incident involving criminal damage to two Reading buses on Saturday (21/2).

A meeting was held between police, Reading buses and Reading Football Club yesterday (23/2) to discuss the incident. These discussions are ongoing.

Five people were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.

A 21-year-old man from Trowbridge, a 23-year-old man from Devizes, a 16-year-old youth from Bristol, a 48-year-old man from Trowbridge and a 17-year-old man from Weston-Super-Mare were all released without charge.

Ch Insp Les Stone of Reading Police Operations said: “4,300 Bristol City fans came to Reading on Saturday and the vast majority were well behaved and cooperative, but unfortunately the actions of a few seem to have marred their reputation.

“We have an excellent working relationship with Reading buses and Reading Football Club and investigations into Saturday’s incident are continuing.”

Patrick Hogan, a 40-year-old man from Alston Walk, Caversham, was arrested and charged under Section 4 of the Public Order Act following an incident in Blagrave Street, Reading. He is due to appear at Reading Magistrates Court on 4 March.

(although they will probably blame the CPS).

They blame the CPS as they make the decision in most circumstances whether a suspect will be charged, especially if the offenders don't admit the offence. The Police can have the best evidence in the world, although if the CPS say NO then they are powerless.

I wouldn't be so quick to judge the actions until they have been clarified in terms of the exact outcome.

I'd also say that CCTV has a fantastic reputation that far exceeds it's effectiveness. Five persons being arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, may mean that possibly only one was responsible. Trying to find that one person may be hard, especially if the CCTV isn't very clear. If it's not clear, and no one admits the offence, you can't charge anyone.

[PardewsLoveChild]

Right then,where do i start..................

I can confirm that 2 buses were recked,the 1st one had all it's lights smashed,seats ripped and burned and pissed on,this was the bus that was driven up to the away end with the emg door swinging and the light tubes being thrown out of the window,how do i know this...I was friggin driving it !!!!!!!!!!!

I was sat in the bus station waiting in line to move up to the front when about 60-70 Brizzle fans just ambushed me,there was fook all i could do about it,as someone has said the police just stood there and watched,it took my inspector to barge his way on to the bus to close the doors and tell me just to take them straight to the away end,he got quite a kickin to the legs for his effort and before anyone else asks....no....i did'nt charge them

I just kept my head down and got them to the ground as quickly as i could,i did think about abandoning (sp!!) the bus at one point,this was on the A33 by rose kiln lane but first of all they would have kicked the livin snot out of me if i did,plus the road was quite heavy with traffic at the time so 60-70 Brizzle fans running around in the road may have been a bit of a risk to the other road users so it was best to keep them on the bus and just get them there and let the police at the ground deal with them.

Did you hear the call during the second half for all coach drivers to return to their vehicle's.....That's also our call to go back to our buses,we normally leave about 10 minutes before the end of the game but as the game had 25 minutes still to go we new something was up.There was a meeting down where the buses park and the bus company wanted to pull ALL of the buses out,leaving ALL fans a long walk back to the train station,but it was agreed with the stewards and police that NO Brizzle nutters would be allowed back on to the vehicles and that's why they were frog marched back to the station on foot.

As for the 2nd bus,he had all his windows smashed but poor John the driver had it alot worse than me,he got alot of abuse and some quite nasty threats,that's why he pulled up by the side of B & Q cause they new the police were waiting for them at the away end and we think they made him pull up there,we haven't seen the poor sod since,off sick !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So there you go,the peril's of being a bus driver!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Royal Lady]

That's dreadful. I'm sorry to hear all this but I really do think the police have a case to answer to here. What is the point of having loads of police if they're not going to bother to do anything?