FRENCH HOONS TERRORIZE TRAIN PASSENGERS, ESCAPE

Once upon a time it was common to hear "only in America" as preface to a story like this. Now it's more correctly, "only in France":

FRENCH President Jacques Chirac has vowed to bring to justice a gang that terrorised hundreds of train passengers in a long rampage of violence, robbery and sexual assault on New Year's Day.

The two hour criminal frenzy by between 20 and 30 youths was "totally unacceptable," he saidr.

"Those guilty will be found and punished as they deserve."

If the police weren't inept the thugs would have been arrested on the spot:

Train staff alerted police, and the train pulled into a station to wait.

The three officers who initially turned up had to wait for reinforcements before boarding, during which time the youths continued to cause trouble.

The train then resumed its journey with a heavy police presence aboard but, just before Marseille, the youths pulled the emergency stop and escaped by running along the tracks.

On second thought the police probably didn't want to catch the rambunctious kiddies; if they'd been caught there probably would have been a replay of the disaffected-Muslim-youth-car-burning rampage:

Only three - two 19-year-old Moroccans and a minor, all living in France - were arrested.

Wonder how many of them are named Mohammed?