Calling a spade a handled instrument for turning earth

Earlier this week, there was a report (The Press: Ambushed) of two men being ambushed and beaten up in Ravensthorpe, West Yorkshire by a group of thirty youths. The local police commander, Chief Inspector Jon Carter said that he believed that a local group called the Ravy Terror Squad was responsible. He also said that he had a lead and intended to lock them up. Since then, several have been arrested in early morning raids.

It was amusing, however, to see how careful he had to be to avoid using inflammatory language when describing the group:
"This is not a gang as such, more a peer group which has got involved in crime and anti-social behaviour"
Not a gang at all, nothing like that, no.

H/T to Laban: Ravensthorpe Ravers whose article offers customary sensible comment on the whole story and its context.

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