GOTHS AND MONSTERS

10-10-2006

It's not even Hallowe'en and kids are walking around with powder-white faces, black-rimmed eyes, andfinger-in-socket hair. Yes the goths are in town...but as Edward Cameron observes, they are sometimes viewed with as much fear asgenuine vampires. Clue to the cops - the real ones only come out at night.

For ten years I have regularly visited Wolverhampton town (now city) centre on a Saturday afternoon and marvelled at the growing number of goths/greebos/rockers who hang around by the statue of Prince Albert.

The Queen's Square monument has become more popular as the rise of the gothcontinues.

In all my years I have never seen a problem there. These young people just stand, talking and looking bravely peculiar in their long leather coats, chains on their jeans and wild hair.

The movement has continued to grow to the point where now a couple stand with them, clad in black, with their infant child in a pushchair.

But this weekend there was a police community support officer standing there as well, just watching.

For the first time ever I was intimidated. A copper's presencemeant trouble must have been expected.

But I grew up with grebos, as they then were. In fact I was even called one as an insult by the cooler kids at school. Ten years ago it was very much a minority movement, a statement about how if kids weren't able to fit in they would go to great lengths to stand out. They wouldn't cause trouble, would they?

Often despite the shocking lyrics and volume of the songs they enjoyed the only people they ever posed a risk to were themselves through self harm. Outsideschoolthey were positively timid.

Standing by the consort statue was a statement. A way of telling the other kidsthat they would not be bullied out of the town for being different. I envied them. They had found a group to which they belonged and had shaken off the desperate desire to be popular. I never did. Nor did I ever become popular.

To my knowledge there has been an increase in vandalism of the statue. But if this is the reason for the copper's presence then it's a terrible waste of police time in a city centre the size of Wolves.

If the police want to monitor the behaviour of young people they should send a riot van to each club at 2am and follow as the smartly dressed trendies leave the club, throw kebab wrappers on the floor and take a discreet wee in Beatties shop doorway.

My concern is that if the goths are watched by the force's visible presence they will not get that sense of accomplishment a little rebellion creates. Will they leave town thoroughly dissatisfied and go and do something a little more serious out of the way of prying eyes?

Many of these kids just need to get it out of their system, and as they aren't hurting anyone - does plod really need to be there?

Apparently so. We live in a climate of fear where all young people are to be distrusted regardless of whether they are hoody clad louts or just kids that like to rock. Police don't just want to keep an eye on you - they want you to know they're there.

And for anyone about to complain about the lack of things for kids to do on the weekend just remember this: They don't want organised events in their free time, that's what schools and youth clubs are for. They've gone into town to experience some freedom. So for one afternoon in a busy area where everyone can see what's going on, why not leave them to it?