Actually
Anyone has the right to perform a Citizens Arrest if they happen upon a serious crime (I believe the boundary for 'serious' is an offence that could attract a certain sentence - 5 years I think). Someone getting seven bells kicked out of them constitutes Assault/ABH /GBH at the very least. However the law allows you to use a certain amount of force to do this, and this is where the problem arises.

Your average scrote, given a well-deserved smacking if for example caught in your living room wearing a stripy jumper with a big sack marked 'swag', knows now that if they are in worse nick than you when the Rozzers eventually arrive, it's odds on that the Plod will nick you for assault. They're target driven these days, and there is a regrettable tendency to nick first and engage brain later. Sadly the scrotes know very well how to work the system, while your hypothetical burglary victim will not.

While I agree that this isn't by definition a 'lefty' thing, more an example of piss poor political micro-management of what used to be a relatively sensible policing system, the fault lies more with the politically correct morons in the Crown Prosecution Service and Judiciary.

Maybe I'm just getting all old 'n' grumpy, or maybe someone left a copy of the Mail around and it's subliminally affecting me, but my sympathies would be with the OP.

The 'tearaways' would not have got a thumping had they not been doing what they were doing hence tough shit.

Maybe if the story had been told without the last sentence it would be different?

However I will conclude with the advice given me by a fairly senior copper - if someone tries to mug you and ends up on the floor squealing with his gonads in his lungs, piss off sharpish and don't wait for the cops.
(osok Rebel without a clue, Thu 14 Feb 2008, 16:18, Reply)