Blood on the streets of Barking

In the first 12 days of this year 4 young men have died a violent death in Barking all minutes from where I work every day, and I could personally show you the exact spots where they fell. All 4 have made the national press and TV news.

At 5pm New Years day a 17 year old boy was stabbed to death on Ripple Road, Barking, whilst returning home from a shopping trip with 2 friends. Apparently, someone pulled up in a car, jumped out, stabbed him and drove off again.

The next day another man had arrived at River Road, Barking in order to pick up his car from a repair garage when he was shot dead in the street, again by an unknown assailant.

And finally, just last Friday, the 12th, when whilst definitely trespassing and allegedly for the purpose of graffiti, 2 young men of 19 and 21 died after being struck by a tube train travelling at 30mph whilst fleeing after being challenged by security and LT staff. There was actually 4 of them all together but 2 escaped death but not capture. This happened not 500yds from my office at 11pm.

These deaths, especially the last 2 due to the unnecessary way to die, (in the pursuit of spraying ones name on a wall) has highlighted to me how fragile and fleeting life is. That we may not live to see tomorrow, and that we should enjoy every minute of life; with our friends, our family and with our dreams and goals. Natural death and old age is not guaranteed to everyone, as a quick flick through any newspaper will show you..

So enjoy life people, because none of us know when our last day will be.....