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Your verdict: Sheerness shoppers say Paris Brown has 'given town a bad name' over Twitter row

12:00, 08 April 2013

updated: 16:38, 12 December 2019

Kent's new youth police commissioner Paris Brown
Kent's new youth police commissioner Paris Brown

Paris Brown has been
heavily criticised for offensive tweets

Shoppers in Paris Brown's hometown of Sheerness gave their verdict on her Twitter posts that sparked outrage.

Many people in the High Street said the 17-year-old had let the
area down and branded her role a "complete waste of money".

Sasha Pearce in Sheerness High Street
Sasha Pearce in Sheerness High Street

Student Sasha Pearce, Granville Road,
Sheerness, was among those to criticise the teenager.

The 21-year-old, pictured right, said: "I think it's wrong - you
shouldn't use social networks for this stuff. Keep opinions to
yourself.

"She should stand down. She gives us all a bad name in Sheerness
- we are not all like her."

Retired Frederick Clare, 67, of Thames Avenue, Sheerness, said:
"She shouldn't have been in the job in the first place. Everyone
here who know her would say she's let the area down.

"I don't think it was the right call for Ann Barnes to stick by
her. She just wanted to keep her because she chose her."

And Louise Kingston, 62, of Meyrick Road, Sheerness, said: "She
was very young and probably said it out of context.

She probably thought she was being quite grown up but is now
probably regretting it. But she has let the area down."

Student Kirsty Moy, 17, from Queenborough, said: "It's out of
order. She shouldn't be in the job - she doesn't deserve it.

"If she's meant to be representing people she shouldn't be
saying rude comments."

Kirsty Moy in Sheerness High Street
Kirsty Moy in Sheerness High Street

Student Kirsty Moy
criticised Paris Brown

Retired Maureen Furnell, from Sheerness, said: "Maybe she's not
the right person. I don't know why they need one anyway, but I
don't think she's possible the right person for the job.

"I don't think it's the right decision to keep her in the
job."

Others criticised the vetting process - and that police
commissioner Ann Barnes did not check Miss Brown's personal Twitter
account.

Alex Norman, (pictured right) an
18-year-old student at the University of Kent of Liberty
Quays, Gillingham, said: "I think there's no way of taking her
tweets out of context. "What she said is deplorable and wrong, but
hopefully she's now grown up a lot more.

Alex Norman in Sheerness High Street
Alex Norman in Sheerness High Street

"Out of all the candidates you'd think there'd be a better
vetting process to see the views of this girl.

"I don't really feel represented by her because I don't hold any
of those views.

"I can understand why Ann Barnes is standing by her, but at the
same time you look at Paris and wonder why she said these things in
the first place."

Tony Luckhurst, 54, said: "She shouldn't have had the job in the
first place. I just think it's an absolute waste of money. If the
police did their job properly they wouldn't need it.

"The youth needs sorting out rather than representing. She's a
very immature person - too immature for a job like that. I think
it's a complete waste of money."

Shop owner Peter Giffin, 52, from Minster, took a more
sympathetic approach.

He said: "She was visibly upset. I don't see why she can't stay
in her job. It would be like saying someone who's been in prison
can never get a job.

"All she had was an opinion, which she said was taken out of
context."

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