Sunday Chronicle: Gangs menace report 

18 April 1954

'Edwardian' spivs plan new swoop Police are standing by

From Jack Greenslade - Brighton, Saturday night

Britain's most famous holiday resort, packed with Easter visitors in its centenary year, is being terrorised by rival gangs of 'Edwardian' thugs. This weekend Brighton police, many of them on special duty, are standing by to cope with a threatened invasion by teenage gangsters from the Southsea and Portsmouth area. Another gang from the East End of London is expected at one of the principal local dance halls which has already been the scene of savage battles. Brighton, the setting of the fictional gangs in the novel and film Brighton Rock is taking this real-life trouble very seriously. The police are determined to do everything possible to avoid a local repetition of the Clapham Common youth-gang killing, but at the moment it would appear that the 'Edwardians' have the upper hand. This is the picture as it was described to me by a senior police officer and by local residents who have had first-hand experience of the gangs. The trouble came to a head three weeks ago, when a party of youths, all dressed in the thugs uniform of exaggerated Edwardian jackets and drainpipe trousers, clashed with a local gang in a quarrel about two girls. The visiting gang from Southsea got the worst of it. To police who were called in to quell the disturbance they announced they would return with reinforcements on the following Sunday. Thus forewarned, the Brighton police were able to discover the exact time at which the invaders in a hired coach and a large commercial van, were to leave Southsea. At every stage of the journey the coach and van were tracked by motor-cycle police and radio cars. When they reached Brighton the police were ready.

At Aquarium

One by one the 'Edwardians' queued at the pay-box of the Aquarium on the sea front. The manager refused them admission. When they began a rush towards the doors leading to the ballroom where 1,000 couples were dancing the police moved in. The gangsters were beaten. They left the Aquarium for the Regent Dance Hall, a quarter of a mile away. There, too, they were refused admission. The police were there in strength. It was here that one of the gang made another threat to return this weekend. He told a police officer that the gang would be back in force. He said they would not again make the mistake of arriving by coach, which the police could easily follow. They would arrive separately and by different routes.

Beaten-up

Amusement caterers in the town dread their arrival. Cinemas, theatres and dance halls are their favourite battle-grounds. Typical of the 'Edwardians' hooliganism was an incident at Brighton's Savoy Cinema, where the box-office attendant told me: "One of our assistant managers, Mr A. Thirlaway, was beaten-up by these gangsters. They get into the cinema after one of the gang has paid for admission and then opens an emergency exit to let the others in. They run up to the circle, and then the trouble begins."

Back to top