When the boys are brought before a Magistrate for stealing some pop he castigates them with the following words: "It is a sad state of affairs when the ordinary citizen hardly dare venture onto the streets for being banged on the head by gangs of Cosh Boys with flick knives and bicycle chains. Is there a reason for it? In my humble opinion we are literally - each and every one of us - going to the Devil. And if I had to point the finger at any single responsible body it would be the BBC for paving the way by churning out 'Dick Barton' every single night of the week. If anything was guaranteed to warp the spirit of the young it's that perverted rubbish. The facts are quite simple: when did the country first start going to the dogs? 1946. What was the date of the first broadcast of 'Dick Barton'? 1946. The Devil is on the hoof." The Magistrate is played by Noel Johnson - who played Dick Barton in the popular radio series and to which the boys listen avidly every night.
