CROOKS ATTACKS GANGSTAS: Joining the queue of people condemning rap's fascination with the violent side of life is Garth Crooks, Spurs player turned TV presenter:

There is an epidemic out there, and it is killing some of our children. Do you think there could be a correlation between this and the growing dissipation of our cultural values?

Crooks was talking at yesterday's London Schools and the Black Child conference, organised by Diane Abbott. Abbott, of course, signalled her determination to try and change things by, erm, taking her kid out of the State System. As far as we can tell, nobody actually bothered to invite anyone who is involved in British rap to put their perspective.