sedan
10-08-2006, 09:11 PM
Pitchforks and a bomb - Windsor's week of violence
Oct 6 2006
A PETROL bomb launched at a Muslim-owned dairy on Wednesday night may have been in retribution for alleged attacks on three residents involving pitchforks and lead pipes.
Since Monday, violence involving Asians and white youths has raged on the streets of Dedworth in Windsor, with Medina Dairy at the epicentre.
On Wednesday night, at least 30 police officers manned streets surrounding the premises of the dairy in Shirley Avenue, Dedworth, as the feud escalated surrounding the dairy and its prayer room.
At 10.30pm an Asian man who had been praying in the dairy's Technor House, said: "A scooter drove past earlier in the night and threw a petrol bomb at the dairy. It exploded on the wall.
"After that a car drove past three times and the last time he wound down the window and said he would be back with a gun."
Riot vans, police horses and plain-clothed officers stood their ground, waiting for further attacks.
Scores of white teenagers lined the streets while members of the staff from the dairy stood guard outside the property.
Chief Inspector, Jim Templer, deputy commander for Windsor and Maidenhead said: "I would like to reassure residents of Dedworth that we know this behaviour has a serious impact on the wider community."
The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) was also present and police reinforcements were called in from Oxford, High Wycombe and Milton Keynes.
The forensic unit of the police also discovered a suspected petrol bomb and cordoned of part of Hanover Way, opposite Shirley Avenue at 9.45pm.
Fighting started on Monday night outside the dairy resulting in a 46-year-old mother of two alleging she was beaten with a lead pipe.
The woman's daughter allegedly had her car smashed by what she told Express was gang of young adults, allegedly from Medina Dairy.
The woman, a secretary from Dedworth who did not want to be named, had gone to check on her 15-year-old son after he had been involved in a previous altercation with men at the dairy.
She said: "Before I had chance to think, there were 20 men coming from the Islamic centre, charging at me and my daughter with pitchforks, baseball bats, lead pipes and blow-torches. One of them hit me on the back of the legs with a lead pipe.
"I told my daughter 'we have to get out of here otherwise we are going to die'."
Then the ganag allegedly turned on a car now known to belong to the daughter and used pitchforks and other weapons, including a grease gun she later handed to the Express, to smash the car window and body-work.
She said: "It was my daughter's car, her pride and joy. They smashed through the windscreen with a pitchfork and then continued to smash the whole car up.
"I have not been able to find a reason at all for why they did this. I asked the police why there are weapons kept in a place of worship but they didn't answer me.
"These were grown men coming for two small women. We did nothing to incite this. I think it was reverse racism."
She added: "As they were attacking us they were all smiling - they were delighted to be hitting me and destroying my daughter's car. I thought they were going to kill us - they were fanatical."
The woman say she was unable to clearly identify any of her attackers, claiming the police told her it was not worth reporting. "The men were all wearing similar white clothing and were all shaven-headed, so I couldn't pick anyone out. The police said it would be very difficult to identify anyone, so they may not get anything done."
On Tuesday, the violence escalated with gangs of Asian and white teenagers drawing battle lines in the Vale Road road area of Dedworth.
That night, a 23-year-old Slough man was arrested on suspicion of common assault.
Two 16-year-olds from Windsor were also arrested in connection with carrying offensive weapons.
There are accusations that members of staff from Medina Dairy have been intimidating people as they cut through Shirley Avenue from the recreation ground next to St Edward's Royal Free Ecumenical Middle School.
Lorna Habgood, a mother of two, from Dedworth said: "The security guards from the dairy are aggressive and abusive to mums collecting their kids from school. They won't let anyone down Shirley avenue because they say it's their land."
Argument has raged for more than two years over the dairy's use of Shirley Avenue - a public road - which residents say is often blocked by the dairy's workers and lorries.
Further anger has erupted over Medina Dairy's application for an 'Islamic education and community centre' in one of their buildings in Shirley Avenue.
Now it seems outrage has hit boiling point with the property already being used as a prayer room without hearing the outcome of the application to use it as one.
Linda Bund, from Vale Road, owner of Take a Break cafe on Dedworth Road said : "I am not opposed to anyone learning or practicing religion, but using premises off Vale Road causes chaos.
"It's all very well having a disagreement over planning issues but attacking women and intimidating people is not on, it's disgusting. We are not prejudice at all in my family but it is outrageous and I don't like the bad feeling it's creating."
Cynthia Endacott, (Clewer north: West Windsor Residents' Association) said: "They do not have permission to use that building as a prayer room. The police have done nothing and the council have done nothing either.
"I am very concerned about there being a permanent prayer room. It is a residential area and I would not be in favour of any sort of place of wor-ship in such a place."
Sardar Hussain, managing director of Medina Dairy, claimed it was his security guard who was initially attacked and said: "I want to work co-operatively with the West Windsor Association. I wish to be more involved in the community here in West Windsor if given the opportunity.
"I have friends and colleagues of many religions. I am a strong believer that people of all religions should try to co-operate and play their part in communal life."
Slough MP, Fiona Mactaggart said: "At any time Islamophobic attacks are unacceptable. In this holy month of Ramadan it is particularly distressing for the Muslim community to be victims of hatred.
"I am determined that all other commmunities in this area should stand by them.
"I have contacted the local police to ask them to make tackling the dangerous violence and anti-social behaviour a top priority."
http://icberkshire.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news (http://icberkshire.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200berkshireheadlines/tm_headline=pitchforks-and-a-bomb---windsor-s-week-of-violence&method=full&objectid=17883631&siteid=50102-name_page.html)
Oct 6 2006
A PETROL bomb launched at a Muslim-owned dairy on Wednesday night may have been in retribution for alleged attacks on three residents involving pitchforks and lead pipes.
Since Monday, violence involving Asians and white youths has raged on the streets of Dedworth in Windsor, with Medina Dairy at the epicentre.
On Wednesday night, at least 30 police officers manned streets surrounding the premises of the dairy in Shirley Avenue, Dedworth, as the feud escalated surrounding the dairy and its prayer room.
At 10.30pm an Asian man who had been praying in the dairy's Technor House, said: "A scooter drove past earlier in the night and threw a petrol bomb at the dairy. It exploded on the wall.
"After that a car drove past three times and the last time he wound down the window and said he would be back with a gun."
Riot vans, police horses and plain-clothed officers stood their ground, waiting for further attacks.
Scores of white teenagers lined the streets while members of the staff from the dairy stood guard outside the property.
Chief Inspector, Jim Templer, deputy commander for Windsor and Maidenhead said: "I would like to reassure residents of Dedworth that we know this behaviour has a serious impact on the wider community."
The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) was also present and police reinforcements were called in from Oxford, High Wycombe and Milton Keynes.
The forensic unit of the police also discovered a suspected petrol bomb and cordoned of part of Hanover Way, opposite Shirley Avenue at 9.45pm.
Fighting started on Monday night outside the dairy resulting in a 46-year-old mother of two alleging she was beaten with a lead pipe.
The woman's daughter allegedly had her car smashed by what she told Express was gang of young adults, allegedly from Medina Dairy.
The woman, a secretary from Dedworth who did not want to be named, had gone to check on her 15-year-old son after he had been involved in a previous altercation with men at the dairy.
She said: "Before I had chance to think, there were 20 men coming from the Islamic centre, charging at me and my daughter with pitchforks, baseball bats, lead pipes and blow-torches. One of them hit me on the back of the legs with a lead pipe.
"I told my daughter 'we have to get out of here otherwise we are going to die'."
Then the ganag allegedly turned on a car now known to belong to the daughter and used pitchforks and other weapons, including a grease gun she later handed to the Express, to smash the car window and body-work.
She said: "It was my daughter's car, her pride and joy. They smashed through the windscreen with a pitchfork and then continued to smash the whole car up.
"I have not been able to find a reason at all for why they did this. I asked the police why there are weapons kept in a place of worship but they didn't answer me.
"These were grown men coming for two small women. We did nothing to incite this. I think it was reverse racism."
She added: "As they were attacking us they were all smiling - they were delighted to be hitting me and destroying my daughter's car. I thought they were going to kill us - they were fanatical."
The woman say she was unable to clearly identify any of her attackers, claiming the police told her it was not worth reporting. "The men were all wearing similar white clothing and were all shaven-headed, so I couldn't pick anyone out. The police said it would be very difficult to identify anyone, so they may not get anything done."
On Tuesday, the violence escalated with gangs of Asian and white teenagers drawing battle lines in the Vale Road road area of Dedworth.
That night, a 23-year-old Slough man was arrested on suspicion of common assault.
Two 16-year-olds from Windsor were also arrested in connection with carrying offensive weapons.
There are accusations that members of staff from Medina Dairy have been intimidating people as they cut through Shirley Avenue from the recreation ground next to St Edward's Royal Free Ecumenical Middle School.
Lorna Habgood, a mother of two, from Dedworth said: "The security guards from the dairy are aggressive and abusive to mums collecting their kids from school. They won't let anyone down Shirley avenue because they say it's their land."
Argument has raged for more than two years over the dairy's use of Shirley Avenue - a public road - which residents say is often blocked by the dairy's workers and lorries.
Further anger has erupted over Medina Dairy's application for an 'Islamic education and community centre' in one of their buildings in Shirley Avenue.
Now it seems outrage has hit boiling point with the property already being used as a prayer room without hearing the outcome of the application to use it as one.
Linda Bund, from Vale Road, owner of Take a Break cafe on Dedworth Road said : "I am not opposed to anyone learning or practicing religion, but using premises off Vale Road causes chaos.
"It's all very well having a disagreement over planning issues but attacking women and intimidating people is not on, it's disgusting. We are not prejudice at all in my family but it is outrageous and I don't like the bad feeling it's creating."
Cynthia Endacott, (Clewer north: West Windsor Residents' Association) said: "They do not have permission to use that building as a prayer room. The police have done nothing and the council have done nothing either.
"I am very concerned about there being a permanent prayer room. It is a residential area and I would not be in favour of any sort of place of wor-ship in such a place."
Sardar Hussain, managing director of Medina Dairy, claimed it was his security guard who was initially attacked and said: "I want to work co-operatively with the West Windsor Association. I wish to be more involved in the community here in West Windsor if given the opportunity.
"I have friends and colleagues of many religions. I am a strong believer that people of all religions should try to co-operate and play their part in communal life."
Slough MP, Fiona Mactaggart said: "At any time Islamophobic attacks are unacceptable. In this holy month of Ramadan it is particularly distressing for the Muslim community to be victims of hatred.
"I am determined that all other commmunities in this area should stand by them.
"I have contacted the local police to ask them to make tackling the dangerous violence and anti-social behaviour a top priority."
http://icberkshire.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news (http://icberkshire.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200berkshireheadlines/tm_headline=pitchforks-and-a-bomb---windsor-s-week-of-violence&method=full&objectid=17883631&siteid=50102-name_page.html)