Just had a gadgie up to do some work on the swimming pool at work he is from portsmouth and the first thing he said was is this Lawrance bloke for real.
So i gave him the story and said make your own mind up.

Neither

The bloke has serious 'issues'

at the same time he won't be helped
he ignores his social workers and brings a lot on himself
he is not so daft

It's quite sad that social services don't seem to have taken a more active interest. As was said above; Lawrence clearly has major 'issues' and the likelihood is that he doesn't have a real friend in the world. He's also undoubtedly very lonely. This probably explains the reason for his outlandish attention seeking behaviour. Back in the real world he'll probably eat his Christmas dinner alone.

You could invite him round to your house.

No, I'm one of the many who aren't his friend.

If he's really gonna be on his own at Christmas with nowt to do then I'd give him £50 to put him in a cage in my garden and dance.

I'd even hire a cattle prod and everything.

In fact, rather than in my garden we could put him on the rec car park and charge punters from the Woody's £1 to watch him.

i have seen his social worker at the ground with him and he seems to be a law unto himself when they are present
in fact more agitated when they try to calm him
they can't physically restrain him but that is care in the community
as leader of this community just maybe you should take an interest

be have rip

Ever considered a caring profession?

could have had the job
if only i had had a bike

I don't think it would be my cup of tea.

Any takers on the cage dancing though?

I wondered where you'd been for the last 30 seconds.

Now I know you were in the bogs knocking one out.

THE only problem with the Mr I- Lawrence combination is who would take the lead

That's an easy one.

Obviously Mr I would take the lead.

Because Lawrence has as much co-ordination as Pools defence.

Maybe, just maybe, it was better when they had their own little communities......safe from the piss taking people like this have to endure because of their condition. But it was more efficient (cheaper) to turf them all out of places they felt safe, get them a place to live and give it the frankly absurd title care in the community ....

to be fair to him he went over the top after the death of his mother and it would profoundly affect someone of his mental age
prior to that he was still in normal clothes and did attend the adult centre in west view and appeared to be less aggressive she obviously had a lot more control than the social wokers

I was talking generally but I do know all about his background and he will have had some order to his life prior to this.... leaving people like this to their own devices is in my opinion cruel.

totally agree

Does anyone else think that if Lawrence lived in a town anywhere else in the country he wouldn't be in the community?

I think the town is very tolerant of eccentrics like him, and because of the close knit nature people are less likely to demand 'something be done'.

My mam knew Lawrence pretty well, as she worked at the day centre he used to go to (Lynn Street or Warren Road, can't remember which he went to). She reckons elsewhere he would probably be institutionalised because of his condition.

I feel sorry for the bloke, I remember when he used to warm up with the Pools players before the match on the pitch, and watch from the portakabins where the Cyril now is.

From experience I don't think he would be institutionalised Mr PIN. Nowadays people with learning difficulties are not institutionalised, it's (usually) only people who have severe behavioural problems. There are still loads of people in Hartlepool with behavioural problems living amongst us, but it's trying to control the trigger which sets off the behaviou that's the hard part.

He was in the asda cafe one day and he shouted as i walked past as i had my pool's top on so i shouted back hello lawrance to which he lifted up his dress and flashed his knacker's rather strange greeting i thought.

now that would of been embarrassing but funny

He isn't really the problem, the problem as such are the people who perpetually taunt and goad him, in his house and in the street, children in particular are particularly vicous and nasty and the windows of his flat, which i pass daily when I leave work, should be replaced with bullet-proof glass, the flak they get. Talk of 'institutionalising' him is a bit dramatic, provoking images of some Victorian asylum, he needs protecting from the so called 'normal people' and somewhere he can get a break.

I live in an asylum anyway....