With over 100 people already arrested after the riots in Manchester and Salford on Tuesday, both Manchester and Salford City Councils have threatened to evict those found guilty from housing association properties.
Despite a slip of the tongue in Channel 4’s Twitter feed, David Cameron also supported any councils who take a strong stance against those who terrorised cities across the country, leading to four deaths and hundreds of millions of pounds of damages.
Councillor Paul Andrews from Manchester City Council said: “If you are a tenant of any of our properties, and you or your children are found to be involved in the looting we will use whatever powers are available to us to make sure you are thrown out.”
Councillor John Merry, leader of Salford City Council, said: “Anyone who can do this to their own city is not welcome in Salford.”
Mancunian Matters took to the streets to ask the question:
Do you think evicting those convicted of involvement in the Manchester and Salford riots is a fair punishment?
| Option | Results |
| Yes | 18% |
| No | 59% |
| There are better options than this | 23% |
Michael Granelli, 58, retired electrician:
“I think it’s definitely fair. If they’re not willing to abide by the rules then string them up. If parents can’t control their children taxpayers shouldn’t be paying for their housing. All this waffle about having no money and nothing to do – my parents had none and they didn’t go round rioting and setting things on fire, they stuck together. They didn’t expect people to give it to them.”
Michael, 57, an ex-binman from Crumpsall:
“They vandalised our community, and looted the shops of their own city. It’s a terrible world we live in.”
Kevin Leach, 29, unemployed from Beswick:
“Yes, because at the end of the day the rioters are harming us all – the government should have got the army involved. Evicting them and their families is a good start, we’ve all been stressed out and suffered about it and I don’t think it’s fair. We can’t go everyday stuff because of a bunch of scallies rioting.”
Mr McPherson, a train driver from the North East:
“I don’t think their families should suffer for this. The young kids have no future and there’s no jobs, so I can see why they do it, even though I’m dead against the rioting.”
Mrs McPherson, a school playing site supervisor:
“They’ve wrecked people’s livelihoods and they should be punished, but not to this extreme. They’re just going to be on the streets and you will get more gangs and it will make the problems worse. They will feel victimised.”
Charlotte, 21, who works in the White Company shop on King Street which currently has boarded its windows up as a precaution against further trouble:
“It seems quite extreme, but then I suppose it could work. I don’t know what they can do without maybe making it worse, though.”
Andrew, 22, a barman living in Fallowfield:
“A lot of the rioters were teenagers, it needs something which doesn’t make the situation worse, which this might do.”
Scott, 21, a Man Met student:
“I can’t really blame the government response, as they’re doing everything to make the streets safe.”
Alan Morris, 73, a retired engineer from Bolton:
“I think heavy-handed, but it’s not unfair. The main problem is where do they put them and where can they go – the council have a legal duty to house them, so how can will that work? It seems that like a lot of rhetoric, probably just a threat. It’s what people want to hear when it’s still a bit raw.”
Join the debate below. Leave your thoughts in the comments box.
*no-one suggested any alternative options, so your ideas on other solutions would be welcome.
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