Q: How do you deal with noisy and aggressive children if you happen to live on a housing estate? So far I’ve tried reasoning with them and got pelted with ice cream for my troubles. So Shirley has formally complained to Barking & Dagenham Council, and they seemd pretty unconcerned in a real sense. Then the police were called after one mum complained to a kid, and got stoned for her sins. Then there’s just been an altercation between a dad and a mum outside my window. So what are my next real world options? Email the local paper, or is that an over-reaction. Attend MP Margaret Hodges surgery? See what our local arsonist thinks? Sit back and watch it happen, logging it on this blog? And the summer holidays are just round the corner, so something’s gotta give.

A: Decided to try out the service of the local mediation service, based in Basildon.

Related stories

• Burned out cars in Barking
• Barking’s own arsonist

Got back from Cambridge yesterday and hit the hay early, only to be woken up by another car fire outside & Essex fire service in attendance. Barking Council hadn’t got round to removing the first car I reported last week (though I was told the car’s owner had told their insurance company a number of times, but they did nothing) – so this time it went up again plus one other. Our local arsonist must think it’s pretty odd too.