Today we’re finishing our Great British Chav Off with a round-up of criticisms, strange outcomes and of course the final poll result.

It started last week when we featured two families previously reported on for various kinds of disgraceful behaviour and we then asked people to vote on which lot they would least like to live near.

We’ve since published responses from each family, with mum-of-11 Cheryl Prudham disputing being labelled a foul-mouthed benefits scrounger and thuggish Louise Sonnex brushing off her numerous criminal convictions.

Reactions to the articles have been mixed, with some people very critical of the families, some very supportive of them, some very scathing of our reports and some favourable towards what we’ve been doing.

Here is some of the feedback which has stood out the most for us, along with the result of the poll in which more than 600 votes were cast.

New best friends

One of the oddest things to come out of this is the mutual appreciation society new besties Louise Sonnex and Cheryl Prudham have formed. In a strange way, it’s actually sweet how we’ve managed to bring these kindred spirits together.

Cheryl to Louise: “I've spoken to you and some of your other family and all I can say is what a lovely family you are. Sort of glad In a funny sort of way they did this stupid story if they didn't I wouldn't of come across you.”

Bit of a weird thing to say considering our original article referred to the wider Sonnex family containing a double murderer and convicted burglar among their ranks.

But there’s more: “As for making out your this violent woman all I see if a woman that will stick up for her own if she needs to. Drink driving? Omg a lot of ppl have been caught doing that there's also loads that ain't been caught hardly the crime of the century is it?! Lots of love to you all Louise and look forward to chatting to you more xxx”

Getting drunk and driving a car into a bus full of passengers is OK then? Glad that’s settled.

It’s not all one-way love, with Louise saying Cheryl deserves a medal and there should be more women like her because she’s “a real woman and mother and can still manage to work to make her children's life's comfortable.”

She’s also said: “So till u know the struggle of 12 kids on dss behave, she has twelve kids imagine taking ur kids macdonalds for one day don't cost Cheryl prudham a tenner so work it out? Stop slagging women who are looking after their kids dss or not.”

Awwwww.

News Shopper: Dogs gif 

Source: giphy.com

Shooting the messenger

Some people have been very quick to jump on us for our “attack” on the two families and our “bullying” of them, without a word of criticism against the behaviour which led to them being on our radar and reported on in the first place.

It’s a strange reaction to find more offence in words on a page than in the anti-social, crime-committing actions that led to those words being written.

WARNING: Video below contains offensive language

On Twitter, Justin Horton (@ejhchess) wrote: “I'd like least of all to live next door to anybody who thought this garbage should have been written in the first place.”

On Facebook, Hayleyandcalum Davies told us: “Theres so many families/people that are worse than these. Think ya need to sort it out and stop trying to get the public to be against them. Its there decision how they should be and what they do.”

There have been numerous comments along these lines, including some urging us to go after MPs, tax-dodgers and sex offenders instead – although these critics may want to look in our archives to see we’ve done many articles on these subjects in the past.

Some of the criticisms urging us to look elsewhere for stories have sadly included moronic racist and bigoted language, which we’ve chosen not to give oxygen to here due to what the comments are and their lack of relevance.

News Shopper:

Still from the foul-mouthed video above in which Rob Prudham and Cheryl Prudham's teenage son chase a journalist and attack his car

Other people have questioned whether we should have written the articles because of the publicity it gives to “disgusting” people.

Bensacat Cat said: “These nightmare people need to not be given the attention they crave.”

We believe vile behaviour from members of the two families, and others like them, should be publicly exposed and also that their excuses should at least be heard, even when they are as pitiful as Louise Sonnex making light of her crimes and seeming to make a mockery of the justice system.

Sticking up for us

There have been some friendly voices backing our coverage. Here are some who have appreciated our approach.

JoeBlobbs said: “So it's perfectly ok for these disgusting people to take the P. out of the taxpayer by sponging off the state and behaving like anti social morons, committing serious crimes and contributing nothing to society? But you don't like it if the NS has a little fun at their expense?”

News Shopper:

Sonnex family portrait - Louise, Dano and Bernard

PaulErith said: “Don't tell me you're worried that it might hurt their feelings? Well, who cares? I'm sure these people don't care about the people they hurt and the people that pay taxes to fund them.”

And Threadworm said: “News shopper got this story right about common scum.”

Creative solutions

Among all the responses, positive and negative, have been some interesting suggestions for what could happen to the families next.

Blastyoureyes thought up this TV ratings winner: “What about a reality TV with both families living next door to each other and having to share the benefits? It could be called something like Benefits Britian: Get all ya can ave chav - init.”

News Shopper:

Cheryl and Rob Prudham

JoeBlobbs again said: "How about putting them all on one of the uninhabited islands in the Shetland/Orkney region or similar and letting them live as they want away from civilisation. Same with all the wannabe gangsters, find a place where they could run around with guns and knives and improve the living conditions for the rest of us who are willing to contribute to society and behave in a decent law abiding manner.”

And the winner is ...

Out of the 611 votes cast, 66 per cent of people said they would least like to live near the Sonnex family. Two thirds of the votes gives us clear winners (or should that be losers?), making them the worst of the bad examples. These are two of the most outrageous families we’ve featured, certainly in recent times – and we now have an answer to whose conduct you find most foul and who you wouldn’t want as a neighbour.

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