England is dead.

An absolutely horrifying story via The Corner about the police forcibly preventing neighbors from trying to help save a family trapped in a burning building. I understand the point of view that it was dangerous and the police wanted to keep the casualties to a minimum, but I don’t think I can ever fault anyone for risking their life to save a child. Nor does it seem reasonable to stop someone from trying to rescue a child unless it is truly and obviously hopeless, which this situation does not seem to have been. What has happened to England? 20 or even 10 years ago it would have been a story about how the police and neighbors went into a burning building to try to save the family inside.