London "hoodies" hit back at Tory with own documentary

Estate hits back at Widdecombe

August 29, 2007
The Guardian

After being labelled "thugs" and their home "a dump" by Ann Widdecombe, Conservative MP turned documentary maker, teenagers on the north London estate Andover are fighting back with their own documentary, posted on YouTube.

"She came here with her TV cameras and entourage and hounded us down," says Jojo Oliveira, 18, recounting how Widdecombe filmed her documentary. Ann Widdecombe v The Hoodies aired in February on ITV1. "They showed adults doing normal everyday activities, but each time they showed young people it was in the dead of night and we were hanging around in doorways. A lot of people in the film weren't even from Andover."

"We are so tired of being misrepresented, we wanted to strike back and say 'we're not who you think we are'," says Oliveira. "So we decided to talk back." The YouTube documentary, Beyond the Hoodie, emphasises positive stories, showing the work of local youth workers and the close friendships forged between residents. According to a local newspaper, Widdecombe is refusing to watch the film.