My daughter recently spent some time over the Christmas holiday working at a local refuge offering overnight accommodation to the homeless.

My daughter recently spent some time over the Christmas holiday working at a local refuge offering overnight accommodation to the homeless.

She related to me the experiences of one unfortunate homeless woman who had recently been attacked on three separate occasions.

In the first this poor woman awoke to find her meagre possessions being ransacked and had to fight to hold on to anything, although she ultimately lost most. Fortunately some days later a local charity was able to provide her with a few toiletries.

Some days later in the second attack she again awoke to find some drunken yobs going through these recently donated items which they promptly opened and emptied over her.

Days later in yet another attack she was again rudely awakened by another group of youths who promptly snatched all her remaining meagre possessions and took great delight in throwing them in the river.

What kind of society do we live in? Do these no doubt drunken yobs go home to their comfortable beds in the warm glow of achievement with the knowledge they had inflicted such traumatic attacks on this poor defenceless woman, already one of life's unfortunates living on the edge of our society?

The politicians in their inflated Westminster bubble make themselves feel good by giving millions away in foreign aid. Latest reports indicate we give foreign aid to the USA and China and even to India, who have told us they do not want it. Perhaps we should look nearer home.

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