Anyone been watching this cracking series looking at what the police actually do in their working lives?

Its been a brilliantly put together series so far, insightful, entertaining, frustrating and sad, but, unfortunately, it appears that next week's episode about dealing with binge-drinkers will be set in Wakefield, specifically Westgate.

I'm sure that it'll be another insightful and entertaining show, but I find it sad that the ugly truth of the Wild Westgate is going to be broadcast to the nation.

It makes you wonder what happened to Wakefield and if the decay can be stopped. Any thoughts?

Westgate really isn't that bad, and is no different to any city/town centre on a Friday/Saturday night. The 'problem' is not Wakefield's but one for this country as a whole.

Wakefield does not have any more or less trouble than many other towns and cities. The unusual thing about Wakefield is that the pubs and clubs are all in very concentrated area and that makes it easier to film this sort of thing, easier to police but also increases the likelihood of incidents. The Police in Wakefield have long said that when the pubs turn out and everyone heads to cue for a club and also when the clubs turf out finally, that this is when the problems happen. Too many people in too small an area causes problems, but equally if there is an issues that gets out of hand they can deal with and contain it quickly.

Still a shame that Wakefield will be shown in a negative light though!

Exactly. Its the same wherever you go these days.

Wakefield is no worse than anywhere else, every town in the country has the same problems.

Couldn't have written it better myself!

Same problems everywhere you go in Britain, it's just a shame that Westgate is so stereotyped and seems to fit the 'media model' of a northern city with a binge drinking problem.

On another note, has anyone ever been to Romford, Essex on a night out? Now that place IS scary!

Even so, it'll be nice to see Latu again!!!

very true!

Wakefield always gets a bad name coming from people from other similar towns and cities, but like said before in this thread it's not that bad in comparrison to other places. Once a blue moon something very sinister happens in Wakefield where as in places like Huddersfield murders and that happen more frequently from my experience in living in both places. Every town has it's idiots

The trouble with all these programmes is that they are edited for the wow effect and no officer or DO will really say what they think because they are not in a position to say so , as for policing everywhere is different and each area provides differern't problems to police. as stated above its sad to think of westgate as been unsafe but thats modern life. the comparison of Romford is a good one I thought it was rough but not as bad as ealing or soho.

To be fair, I think the idea of this particular documentary series (did you see Monday nights?) is to do exactly that... I was surprised that the officers involved were being very, very frank about their own opinions and it certainly looked the most 'real' of these types of programmes I have seen. I still think they will be very aware of the camera's but I did think it was mostly honest one I have seen.

What is up with Soho... I have some great nights in Soho!

To be honest the same problem exists down here in Peterborough. All the nightclubs and bars are condensed into a small part of the city centre. For scary places, Slough has to be high on the list.

TBH Cous Slough is scary enough in day-light, never mind at night!

Channel,time and day? please.

why you making sure your murtle misses it

C4, 9.00pm, Monday

Thanx
May I also add thanx for clarifying and keeping us up to date ref the ground situation.

Usually spend one night a week (midweek) in Peterborough. There's never anybody about midweek. O'Neills and the College Arms are usually empty. Thank God for the Bombay Brasserie.

Chatham, now that is one scary place.

There was a lot more trouble in the early 90's, was always at least a couple of scraps in Rofftops and Casanovas very rarely see trouble these days or maybe I just don't go out as much!

Can get pretty rowdy in shed, I've seen clowns kicked out for barracking the act.

I have also witnessed violence in the Pie Shop...

...kept hold off my pie though!

Soho was great when we were not getting harrased by the local white hart lane gangs who singled us out because of our northern twang and labelling us of being united fans ! the cheek of it, the programme is quite good but trust me on the warts an all say what you think attitude that you think your getting your not its very eeerrrrr diluted, they are more than aware that there own standards dept watch everything said and done by each of them, this even include's social network sites !. i say bring back rugby league raw !
I dont know whats worse getting a thump or been a leeds fan

prefere the thump

In the 80s it was mad up town, gangs of lads from differant areas of Wakey fighting each other, the Geordies turning up every week + football lads stopping off no cctv it was barmy I think there was a programme even then labeling Wakefield the most violent City in England. The young ones have it easy up town these days

It's true about midweek Peterborough and to be fair there is probably slightly more activity in Rugbyball's brain. On a weekend especially when Posh are at home, parts of the town are just like the top of westgate.

Absolutely true; you had to be on top of your game on a night out in those days - there were scraps breaking out all over the place. To make it worse, this was pre-licensing of bouncers, so they'd kick the bejesus out of people as readily as the drunken punters.

In respect of the Coppers programme; I've enjoyed some of it, but I don't think it's showed them in a particularly good light. The traffic ones in particular came across really badly, but then they always do.

So, despite what the Wakey Express and the letters page will have you believe, Wakefield isn't perfect, never has been, and is arguably safer than once was. I hate people dragging the city down for made-up reasons (the murder that never was a month back for one.)