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Sep 27 2005 | |
40 cops called to riot at bash for posh kids | |
By Mark Mcgivern |
DRUNKEN teenagers attacked police cars and brawled in the street when a party at a private schoolboy's £600,000 home turned into a riot. Fighting broke out after more than 200 gatecrashers turned up for the bash in one of Scotland's most exclusive neighbourhoods. No fewer than SIXTEEN police cars rushed to the scene, along with ambulances. Three of the patrol cars were vandalised by the yobs. One had its windscreen smashed. Five teenagers were arrested and two were taken to hospital with head injuries. Around 40 police tackled the rioters. A spokeswoman for the cops described it as "a large scale disturbance". The party in Bearsden, near Glasgow, was thrown on Saturday night by the 16-year-old son of former BBC Scotland football presenter Gordon Hewitt. Martin Hewitt, a pupil at the £6500-a-year High School of Glasgow, was expecting about 50 pals to turn up. He made up a few invitations for friends, who were asked to pay £2 each in case of damage. But someone then advertised the party on the internet, and fliers were drawn up which read: "Nitro house party. Entry £2. Guests welcome." The family's mansion was soon under siege from a small army of youths. Youngsters came from as far afield as East Kilbride in Lanarkshire and Helensburgh on the Clyde coast. Before heading to a hotel for the night, Martin's parents hired five bouncers from a private security firm just in case there was any trouble at the party. The bouncers, along with Martin, kept undesirables out of the house, and a crowd of gatecrashers began to gather on the street outside. The teenagers guzzled their carry-outs and began to cause trouble. By 11.30pm, more than 300 youngsters had arrived, and fighting had broken out. The gatecashers picked fights with fifth-year pupils from Glasgow High, one of the most prestigious private schools in the country. Former High School pupils include prime ministers Henry Campbell-Bannerman and Andrew Bonar Law, journalists Muriel Gray and Lesley Riddoch, and Scotland's first ever woman judge, Lady Cosgrove. The Hewitts' frightened neighbours called police as the mayhem outside their homes worsened. One described the scene as "a cross between an American college movie and Braveheart". The witness said: "The house was choc-a-bloc and taxis kept arriving. "Half of the guys who showed were already drunk. "We had no option but to call the police. There was no way it could have gone on." The source said some of the kids who showed up for the party were as young as 15. A reveller at the party said a bunch of boys from Milngavie, near Bearsden, set out to cause trouble and ruin the event. He said: "They were chucking things around and being aggressive. "There was so little space that tempers were bound to fray. "The guy having the party was in a state of panic and he was telling people the party was over. "When the police arrived everything erupted and people were throwing bottles around. "The police didn't muck around. They identified the worst offenders and huckled them off in cars." It is believed that some pupils from the private Hutchesons' Grammar school in Glasgow were at the party. There is a long- standing feud between kids at Hutchesons and Glasgow High. A friend of Martin's said: "It wasn't his fault that all these people turned up and caused bother. "There were pupils from Hutchie Grammar and other schools there. It was a recipe for disaster." Police began arriving at the scene before midnight. Officers gave Martin a choice - stop the party, or keep the noise down and they would check on him later. He decided to end the party. Andrew's parents had provided £200 worth of soft drinks and water for the party. But Andrew had to spend the day after the event clearing up hundreds of beer and cider bottles from the revellers' carry-outs. Two handbags were reported missing after the event. Martin's mum Carol, a lecturer at Strathclyde University, said the riot had been "very frightening" for her son. She added: "It wasn't really his fault. "The whole thing has upset him, it has upset me and his father. "I'm so sorry the police were called to the house. It's very embarrassing what went on. "We thought we had done everything. We have read about these parties getting out of control but had no reason to think it would happen at ours. "In hindsight I'm glad the security guards were there or there could have been an awful lot more trouble." Martin has had an autumn party for pals at the house every year for the past eight years. Bur Carol said: "After this there is no way we can ever have a party like this again. "I'm absolutely shocked that you can't have a party for your children in this day and age without it turning into something you never intended. "I just do not understand it. Is this what life is like in Britain today? There is something wrong with this country." Martin's dad Gordon hosted BBC Scotland's Sportscene before making a fortune as a business expert and consultant. He said of the riot: "Let's just say the police did what they had to do and I feel their actions were appropriate. "I don't think what happened is as bad as it sounds. The house hasn't suffered any kind of serious damage." Thanks to the presence of the bouncers, only a £2.99 vase was broken inside the family's home. Most of the trouble was kept outside. Police said: "At 11.40pm, police were called to report a large-scale disturbance outside a house in Grange Road, Bearsden. "Two young men were assaulted and were taken to hospital and treated for head injuries.They were later discharged. "Three police cars were vandalised. "Five males were arrested. All were subsequently released and will be subject to a report to the procurator fiscal." | |||
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