It was Christmas Eve morning as I pushed the wheelie bin down the garden path. All seemed well until I pushed the bin out onto the street.

There, to my amazement, I saw every second wheelie bin turned over with rubbish scattered nearby. It was 8am. Those with ‘little between their ears’ had come in the dead of the night, to have fun, no less.

The unfortunate people who had left their bin out the previous night had become the victims of educated affluent Ireland. The elderly and those who might not get up so early had the foresight to leave their bin out before retiring for the night.

It’s called ‘planning, thinking ahead’ and using the grey matter God gave them. Unlike the loutish thugs who, with their ‘if I can’t have it you won’t have it’ attitude caused mayhem during the night.

Alas, the wheelies weren’t the only ones to fall victim; more fun was needed on this Christmas Eve. Bus shelters, brand new bus shelters were smashed to tiny fragments.

But so what, the boys were having their bit of fun and what’s wrong with that? A good few gargles, smashed bus shelters preceded by the wheelie bin attack, sure it’s the ideal way to celebrate the birth of Christ.

And what would happen should these louts find themselves in court before a learned judge, you may ask? Well, inevitably a plethora of legal eagles and social workers would put forward the hackneyed ‘society has let them down’ excuse. Society, incidentally, meaning you and I.

Or, put another way, all those who would bother to put their wheelie bin out at night, get up off their backside in the morning, go to work and pay taxes. Taxes which would pay for, yes you’ve guessed it ‘bus shelters’. But sure I don’t blame them, isn’t it that shower again that’s let them down, you know– ‘society’.