There comes a time when one has to say, enough is enough…

A time that dictates that you and you alone, must take action, because the powers that be cannot be bothered, or are not interested to do so, even when it’s their position to do just that.

But, what constitutes the term “enough.”

How many telephone calls to the Police does it take?

How many telephone calls does a rent office need?

How many personal visits to a Council Rent Office does it take?

These are the questions I have asked myself over a long time.

In the past, my sitting room windows have been attacked by mindless youths roaming the streets.  All my windows are ‘impact-marked’ from the stones that have been thrown against the glass.  There is no reason for this, other than ‘wanton vandalism and nuisance.’  There is also the possibility that one night, because of the shock of hearing such an impact, that one of these attacks will cause a severe health problem, causing me to be hospitalized: what happens then?

These youths are cowards.  They attack the windows and run off very quickly knowing fine well that a middle-aged man suffering from a spinal problem cannot catch them.  Some people that have tried in the past have suffered heart attacks in the process, and died in trying.  Then, miraculously, the Police arrive, as if it’s something new.

In the past, I have made at least 80 telephone calls or more to Northumbria Police with regards to these attacks.  I have made telephone calls to the local rent office, and made personal visits to complain and ask for action.  Their responses are typical.  The Police usually ask “have you informed the rent office?”  The rent office asks, “Have you contacted the Police?”  Both will often ask “do you know who they are, and where they live, or can you give a description?”

Nine times out of ten, you can’t – because the attacks happen at night making a close up description impossible, or it’s because these hoodlums have ran off so fast you can’t make out very much detail in the distance.

One youth can be identified, although his name is not known, his whereabouts have been localised.  He is about 5 feet 8 inches tall, slim build, aged about 15 years, has short dark hair, and wears rounded spectacles – locally, his nickname is, ‘Harry Potter,’ of the Prestwick Road area.

The last attack happened only a few days ago, and both the Police and rent office were informed.  I also contacted the Victims Support Line, which weren’t much more helpful.  Their response was, “well they (the Police and Council) need evidence before they can act.”  Now, I must wait for the victim support local office and neighbourhood nuisance officers to contact me next week.  If they, in themselves, also cannot offer any practical help, then I’d say, in time, the Police and the Sunderland City Council will have evidence – when they find me on the sitting room floor dead, from a heart attack.  I wonder will they act then, or now, before it is too late!