This morning, at just before 06:00, SWMBO was summoned next door because she is a first point of call for the lady, in her mid nineties, who lives there.
She had had a fall and both the carer who found her and Marion were of the opinion that an ambulance should be called and which arrived a little before 06:05.
Bear in mind that this is 06:00 on a Bank Holiday.
The ambulance crew went inside the house next door and as I was idly looking out of the window, within 5 minutes there were a couple of young people, teenagers I'd guess, hovering around the open doors of the ambulance. Now, you tell me, what teenager surfaces at that time on a normal morning, much less a Bank Holiday?
Having attracted my attention, and with my "cynical old git" mode engaged, I decided to watch more closely.
One of the individuals was talking on his phone and sure enough, within a matter of minutes, a group of three others came shambling along the road, doing a good impression of some movie extras from "Night of the living dead".
They conversed and it became clear that four of them were to keep watch whilst the fifth decided to enter the rear of the ambulance.
It was at this point that I noisily opened the window and took up a position, in full view, and with my camera, a substantial looking SLR, obviously pointed at each individual in turn.
This had the desired effect and the individual who had, by now, taken a step into the ambulance, backed off and all five of them stood there, waiting for me to back away.
They remained there for a further 15 minutes, not saying a word, until the paramedics emerged with the neighbour in a chair, to load her into the ambulance at which point the watchers began to drift away.
Now, I'm not given to overly imaginative prose but I had the overriding impression that they seemed like no more than a pack of feral dogs, deprived of their prey, as they shambled their way up the street.
Nothing, it seems, is beyond the pale anymore.
It was clear that their intention was to remove from the ambulance, whilst the paramedics were involved in what could have been a life threatening situation, anything worth stealing.
Oh, by the way, I know two of them to be crackheads but the strange thing is that they both live (exist?) in a hostel some two miles from here. I can only assume that they were wandering the streets just looking for any opportunity to steal.
Now, I'm not absolutely certain but I think one of the two that are known to me is on bail at the moment for theft offences after she convinced the YOT that she was actively taking steps to rid herself of her addiction.
More time to myself.
