What is known is that all but three of the people arrested were aged under 25. Unemployment and social deprivation were blamed for the decline of Hateley Heath, with an unemployment rate of 14.9% in 1991, when the national rate was below 10%.
The arrest statistics show that all but three of those involved were under 25 years old. The economic downturn and social issues led to the decline in Hateley Heath; specifically, an unemployment rate of 14.9% in 1991 compared to a national rate below 10%.