Weep for the City

‘I have wept for Toxteth ... as I have seen the lawlessness, the greed, the bitterness at work in a community I love and have served for so long.’

As Rector of the Toxteth Team Ministry in Liverpool, Colin Bedford has seen at first hand the results of some of the worst riots in mainland Britain this century. In Weep for the City, he takes a compassionate look at the factors which contributed to those riots: unemployment, inadequate housing and amenities, the breakdown in relations between police and community. But there is a way forward. There can be hope even in the midst of violence and deprivation.

‘The inner city areas are often seen as problems that will not go away. But for some of us they are home, and that brings an entirely different dimension to our thinking. This is a cry from the inner city to the decision-makers - to listen before it is too late.’