1980 St. Pauls riot the "Western Daily Press". 16 of those arrested were prosecuted for riot, but all were either acquitted, had the charges dropped or were discharged after the jury failed to reach a verdict. Copycat riots in Southmead, a predominately white working-class council estate, occurred soon after the St Pauls disturbance. Later commentators suggested that poverty and the sus laws were more important causes of the riots than race. The House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee held a session in Bristol and Home Secretary William Whitelaw came to the city to hold meetings with the local authorities and representatives of the
St. Pauls, Cheltenham in the early 19th century. St. Pauls is located within a short walk of the town centre of Cheltenham, and has a population of approximately 5,500. Examples of the oldest housing in the area can be seen at St. Paul’s Street North, whose stuccoed houses date from the 1830s. Francis Close Hall, a former teacher training college and now a campus of the University of Gloucestershire, is situated in St. Pauls and has a state-of-the-art studio, laboratory, ICT, Gloucester suite training restaurant and Learning Centre. Francis Close Hall, built in Tudor-Gothic style was constructed in 1849 by Samuel Daukes. There