Salter Slammed For 'Riot' Reference

Non-partisan local blogger Gideon Mack has launched a furious attack on Reading West MP Martin Salter for having "exaggerated an incident to the point of lying".

He accuses the parliamentary representative of a cheap and offensive attempt at headline-grabbing, after he reacted to video footage posted on Youtube in the aftermath of Reading Festival.



Mr Salter called the attitude of the Police responses 'cavalier'. He urged the imposition of ID cards and other measures to clampdown on revellers in time for next year's last night, while also describing the excesses of chanting music fans around bonfires as the behaviour of 'drunken yobs'.



However this statement appears overblown as respectyourfestival.com responded by showing security taking an active role in controlling bonfires.



Oranjepan says:
In a media dominated age different camera angles will always show different views. How we allow ourselves to form an impression is all a matter of perspective.

Watch for yourselves and make your own minds up.

More Reading Festival coverage.

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Update: Mr Salter had a 'frank and forthright' discussion with councillors, Police and licensing officers on the subject.

Afterwards Mr Salter claimed his intervention had woken all parties up to his fear that similar incidents may be more serious in the future, but Chief Inspector Dave Parker contradicted the Labour MP stating that he had been reassured by the debrief and that drastic measures were not required.