On 6 Nov 2012 at 2:27pm Barbara wrote:
I seem to remember that when I first arrived in Lewes, in 76, the pubs weren't open and there were very few police around. I can't remember any trouble at all. Of recent years it has changed. It is not so much fun any more, (although last night was a pleasant exception.) Why is this? Is it over-policing, too many people, or the added danger of rookies and deer scarers?
On 6 Nov 2012 at 3:51pm Guy wrote:
Last night was the quietest ever. Only 30000 on the streets. Well done the authorities in reducing the scale of this idiotic event. 80 people injured last night. At least a couple quite serious. Still far too many, so much more to be done in future years.
On 6 Nov 2012 at 5:49pm Enoch wrote:
So, injuries were slightly lower from last year then!
Based from official estimates on a percentage of those there - from 0.0028 last year to 0.0026. 15 arrests on both evenings too.
Massive changes for very little results. Looks like the authorities need to be looking elsewhere rather than following Society members around all evening.
On 6 Nov 2012 at 6:43pm Bonfire Boy wrote:
Arrests update here...
I wonder if the arrests that don't mention a place of residence are Lewes folk?
Check it out here »
On 6 Nov 2012 at 7:43pm huw wrote:
I would have made it 14 arrests as the last one mentioned was arrested for failing to appear at the magistrates on 29th October. Although I can't say what he did that brought him to the attention of police on the night, I think adding him to the list of bonfire related arrests seems a little harsh
On 6 Nov 2012 at 7:48pm teaboy wrote:
I'd also like to know if the arrested people were members of the public or Society members.
On 6 Nov 2012 at 9:57pm bubblegran wrote:
It would also be pertinent to know how many of the injuries were alcohol related, rather than bonfire/firework injuries. We saw several young people in a very bad way from a surfeit of booze throughout the evening.
On 7 Nov 2012 at 7:53am Deelite wrote:
Powerful rookies and strong alcohol Barbara. Take both away and bonfire would be a much more joyful and less dangerous celebration.
On 7 Nov 2012 at 8:29am wanderer wrote:
post No1 says it all Alcohol + people +over policing
On 7 Nov 2012 at 8:59am Enoch wrote:
The Societies removed the "powerful" rookies so that issue is sorted. The authorities just need to work on the publics consumption of alcohol then we will see a reduction in arrests and injuries.
On 7 Nov 2012 at 9:44am teaboy wrote:
100% of arrests were members of the public. NO members of Bonfire Societies were arrested. (Info via the rocketfm website)
On 7 Nov 2012 at 11:05am brixtonbelle wrote:
thanks teaboy, that's good to know. I suspect many of the injuries were drink related.
On 7 Nov 2012 at 2:25pm Ed Can Do wrote:
The "injuries" statistic reports every time someone sought help from St John's Ambulance, no matter what the cause. If someone had a bit of a headache and went and asked them for a paracetamol it would count towards the total.
I'd estimate St John's "treat" ten people an evening at least at Glyndebourne during the summer so for there to have been only 80 interactions with public all night when there were 30,000 odd people, fire and explosions is borderline miraculous I'd say.
On 8 Nov 2012 at 9:48am Retired Archbishop wrote:
The injury statistics are always interesting but Ed Can Do is right. The number of injuries per 1,000 remain low compared to say Notting Hill Carnival. At some places like Hastings and Rye Bonfires, the statistics are skewed by the number of drunk teenager's and it is a real problem. In reality, there are very few Bonfire related casualties in any year, other than 2011. They are more to do with drink, drugs and getting lots of people together in one place.