YOUR anonymous witness to Saturday’s fight behind Elms Parade in Botley (‘Ten men held over shopping centre fight’, September 28) has been watching too much television, I think.
He is quoted as saying that there is often trouble in the area “due to drugs and gangs”.
As someone who lives directly behind the shopping centre, I can assure your readers that Botley has one of the lowest crime rates in the county.
There is very seldom trouble, there are no gangs and any problem with drugs is minimal.
The police officer calling on local homes to ask for information on Saturday remarked, “We hardly ever get called out to this area”.
He was hardly likely to say that if, as your witness claims, Botley is some sort of hotbed of crime.
The journalist who wrote the piece must have been aware that the witness was not telling the truth.
It is a pity that this fantasist was allowed to give such a ridiculously false picture of what is a very quiet and peaceful area.
The main problem facing the local PSOs is the occasional outbreak of graffiti.
PATRICIA MCLOUGHLIN
Arthray Road, Botley, Oxford
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