Page 154 - Once a copper 10 03 2020
P. 154

The following day trouble was still brewing with the first reports of children
               looting on their way to school at 8am. Anarchy had moved on to Handsworth
               where a mob of 500 gathered in Heathfield Road.

               Many were decked out in
               crash helmets and masks
               and carrying bin liners to
               stash stolen goods. They
               rampaged through
               Birchfield Road shopping
               centre and the Post Office
               in Rookery Road was
               raided.

               The police struggled to
               contain the rioters until
               later that night, but the
               damage was done as
               parts of both Handsworth
               and Lozells burned.

               The Handsworth break out          Figure 70 West Midlands Police officers equipped with riot gear at Handsworth
               was to spark other riots          during the civil disorder in 1985
               across the country and
               probably the most infamous was on the Broadwater Farm Estate in
               Tottenham, North London where PC Keith Blakelock was murdered by rioters
               who hacked and knifed him to death whilst he was trying to protect fire
               fighters from the crowd.
               Historic buildings fall victim to the riots – The Villa Cross Picture House & Villa
               Cross Inn Public House


               Villa Cross, Handsworth is the junction of Heathfield Road, Villa Road and
               Lozells Road. The crossroads was shown on the 1st Series Ordnance Survey
               map of 1834 as Aston Villa.
               By 1891 the road from the Heathfield Road/ Lozells Road junction to Soho Hill/
               Soho Road was known as Villa Cross. It is now called Villa Road.










                                                                                                                  Page154
   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159