Friday 28 March 2008

TURF WAR IN THANET?

Rumour has it that nightclub DV8 in Margate has been fire-bombed this afternoon. There has been street gossip for a few days that DV8 below the Tivoli Amusement Arcade was a potential target for those who wished to 'avenge' the 'execution recently of David O'Leary outside his house a couple of weeks ago.

BBC News has just reported that The Tivoli Amusement Arcade is on fire and is this another Godden's Gap fire or is there a turf war? David O'Leary is rumoured to have been involved in drug dealing and that his murder was a gang war 'hit' . Rumour also had it that people attached to DV8 were in some way responsible.

Margate has enough troubles without such criminal goings on. I would be delighted to find that this fire was just a simple electrical fault rather than a 'tit for tat' retaliation. We wait out.

UPDATE

The fire was, thankfully, contained by Kent Fire Service and appears to have been confined to Tivoli Amusement Arcade. The arcade is beside the entrance to DV8 nightclub and Kent Police stood watch over the premises until this morning . A Fire Investigation Team examined the site this morning and all is back to normal; closed. Tivoli Arcade has been closed on and off for a number of weeks and some 'machines' have been removed in the past week or so. I am told the owner is a Mr Dave Bean who also owns the Dolphin in Broadstairs. The memory of the conflagration a few doors up Marine Terrace at Jimmy Godden's 'Mr G's Arcade' a couple of years ago that created 'Goddens Gap' is still fresh and I suppose we should be pleased that we did not wake up this morning to a 'Bean's Gap'. The change in Gaming Laws has made times even harder for Margate's arcades and will we see more closures on Marine Terrace? If we do, I hope the complex electrical wiring that is needed in these places is made safe and that fire risks are reduced.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

And was the CCTV working in the area ?

Anonymous said...

We will have to wait and see!

Anonymous said...

Or wait and not see.

A comment on ECR suggests that you may not have been wise in your mention of a suspected turf war.

At this very moment the Head of the Five Families could be summoning his excellent wartime consigliori.

Swarthy men armed with scythes and lawn mowers moving furtively to the mattresses.

And then Luca with his leaf sucking machine ... hoovering away looking for the trail of breadcrumbs leading to the stoolie Bertram Bigglesworth !

"We sell the grass on dis turf know what I mean ?"

Anonymous said...

What a load of crap.

It was an electrical fault.

As for the dealers and getting shot an all.

WHO CARSE THEY ARE ALL SCUM!!!

Anonymous said...

Its all interesting. I was of the opinion that one should not speak ill of the dead. Relaying street gossip is potentially slanderous or in the blogging world libellous but when no one is prepared to state what everyone is talking about, that Mr O'Leary was not necessarily a law abiding and dutiful Thanet citizen, then it is time to say so. Was it an electrical fault, 23.30? I sympathise with your final comment!

Anonymous said...

i beleive this fire could be convenient for the development plans of the seafront,how many more fires will happen in margate until develpers get what they want,im not saying this is what has happened,but the mind does tend to stray,especialy when there could be a cover sory behind what has happened.

Anonymous said...

Did anyone listen to Radio Kent this morning between 6am to 10am? Quite a few people rang in about the diabolical state of Margate. Even the presenters said what a mess it was, also many comments about the TC.
But we all know that what is being driven for is a dormitary town for commuters to London.

Anonymous said...

I didn't listen to Radio Kent 11.58 but I am not surprised about so many comments about Margate. The town has been blighted and vistors who were here just a couple of years ago when decline was underway, would be even more horrified today.

Head, SMEG said...

anon 11:58. Whats the problem with being a commuter town for London? If there is no jobs locally, bringing home the cash from futher afield works for us all. Ask the Poles........

Anonymous said...

Anybody interested in this should look at kent online.co.uk for the latest turn of events - two men seen running into the arcade and spraying petrol about the place before running out the back door to a get away car is the latest news.

Turf war theory should not be ruled out.

Below are the opening paragraps of the story

Two men walked into a Kent seafront amusement arcade before spraying gaming machines with petrol and setting them alight, causing more than £500,000 damage.

Detectives say the pair escaped through a rear door at Tivoli amusement centre at around 5pm on Friday.

The petrol was contained in a yellow carrier bag and a rucksack carried by the men. It is thought they drove off in a dark-blue old style Volvo that was parked off the seafront in Belgrave Road. It was found abandoned and burnt out in Grosvenor Place in the town minutes later.

Both suspects are white males in their 30s; one is 6ft 1in tall, the other 5ft 11in tall. They were both wearing cream coloured tops and baseball caps, and one wore sunglasses.

Police are working with CCTV footage from inside and outside the building as part of the investigation.

A police spokesman said there were 10 people inside the arcade at the time, and that the fire was lit in front of an office at the rear of the premises.

She added: "It was extremely lucky there were no fatalities."

BTW w- you're quick to mention the awful IOT gazunder but not the august KM Extra in your stories. If you do net get a copy thru your door, please call KM distribution on 01843 296969.

Nick, Whitstable

Anonymous said...

Nick, thanks for that and it just goes to show that street gossip and conjecture can sometimes be very close to the truth! As for KM Extra, yes, I have a bit cut up at moment that I am working on! Excellent local news and items, thanks!

Anonymous said...

Dave O'leary was related to the owner of the security firm used by DV8 nightclub. The man responsible for David's Death is a member of the Arif family. If he is seen in Margate he will not be returning to London as he will be flying back to Turkey in a coffin.

Anonymous said...

Dave O'leary killing was caused by a feud with the owner of the security firm used by DV8 nightclub. The man responsible for David's Death is a member of London's Arif family. If he is seen in Margate he will not be returning to London as he will be flying back to Turkey in a coffin.

Anonymous said...

If the police had any brains they would investigate the Arif family who run security at DV8. But the truth is that the police hated David because he controlled the cocaine distribution in Ramsgate for at least 10 years and could not find any evidence to prosecute. They are probably pleased that he has gone. But dont worry he had many underlings who will be happy to continue his reign and no doubt rid us of DV8 and the Arifs. well they have already started coz the owner of DV8 also owns the Tivoli arcade, thats why it was torched!

Anonymous said...

Dave Bean does not own DV8 / Tivoli. I suggest you do some research before using peoples names in your articles.

Anonymous said...

Facebook campaign to catch the killer.

Police have closed the case??????

http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=27420664130

Anonymous said...

The Police in Thanet are useless more interested in catching speeders down the Thanet way or kicking through some small time pot dealers front door. If they close this case then it proves how incompetent they are as anyone who knew David knows what happened. If he knew what was happening now he would be turning in his grave.
Rest in peace my friend