• WHEN I was growing up in central London in the 1960s and 1970s you would have your own gang of friends hang around your area.

Yes, you would sometimes fight among yourselves, sometimes with kids from your area; maybe it would be your area’s local bully that just wanted to show the less-troublesome kids that he was tough. But in all that, any fights that happened were with no weapons, just with your fists. Yes, and with a kick to match.

But it was never with a knife. And guns? The only guns I saw were when I was six or seven, playing cowboys. Yes on very rare times someone would be attacked with a bottle and they would be dealt with – the law could do that back then.

My dad used to tell me that you should only use your fist if you must defend yourself. Better still walk away. He told me it takes a man to do that, and to use weapons makes you a coward. If true, then there are a lot of cowards out on our streets.

Back then you could have a scrap and soon be back playing football. I ask, what happened?

R PETERS
NW1