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‘Chav’ slur sparks fury
John Fahey4/ 8/2005
A CONTROVERSIAL website has slammed Accrington as the 'Chav capital of Britain'.
In a wave of biting criticism, the internet site www.chavtowns.co.uk depicts the borough as being under seige from lawless Burberry-clad yobs prone to anti-social behaviour.
Chavs is a derogatory term for uneducated, uncultured youths wearing designer clothes and track suits.
One visitor to the website observed: "Nowhere in Accy can you live a safe distance from thieving, dole-scrounging wasters."
Another visitor on chavtowns targets an area of Huncoat, depicting it as run-down and "grim" to such an extent that when travellers arrived a few years ago "even they couldn't find anything worth nicking."
Another said Hyndburn's chavs - or chavettes for women - were responsible for vandalism and violence, and another who lives in Hyndburn commented: "Something scary is happening with the chavs in Accrington, the gene pool seems to be getting smaller and smaller. Three weeks running I have been hassled for a great length of time by some chav. Each bore a remarkable similarity to the last, although it was clear they weren't blood related."
An Oswaldtwistle resident even blames the growing number of cheap shops in Accrington on chavs.
Grep Pope MP acknowledged the problem.
He joked: "I'm wearing my Burberry baseball cap at the moment and have stopped for a spot of graffiti."
Before he continued more seriously: "It's an outrageous slur on Hyndburn towns probably made by some middle class guys who've never been to Hyndburn.
"But this does highlight the problem that exists over our image.
"When I speak to people in London or abroad they think the place is downtrodden and full of dark, Satanic mills but the reality is different.
"There are aspects we should change, but there is definitely a gap in perception.
"But my message to Hyndburn chavs is you need a chav MP, and I'm your man."
Labour leader Councillor David Myles, who attracted criticism for attending meetings in jeans, T-shirt and trainers, said: "I don't know whether to be pleased or not, because chavs are meant to be hip aren't they?
"Surely, that would mean Hyndburn is the place people want to be.
"Chavs are basically young people dressing their own way. We've all been through phases.
"In the seventies I had a perm, the real Kevin Keegan look and we can all remember his and her shell suits in the eighties."
Most recent 2 of 10 user comments
8/03/2006 at 13:27
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Greg Pope's comments are a disgrace and it is obvious that he doesn't really look beyond the overpaid beurocrat council workers that he is surrounded by. And to think, I once actually voted for the man.
31/03/2006 at 14:52