Her eyes flashed with fire as she put the record straight. ‘Shows what you know! I’ve seen me mam and she told me she left because she’d had enough of your kicks and punches, not to mention anything else which came to hand. You cause nowt but misery and destruction wherever you go.’

Callum stared at her in horrified disbelief. ‘Liar. You ain’t seen your mam!’

Suzie folded her arms across her chest. ‘I have, and what’s more I see her every day.’

He threw her a look of pure hate. ‘You’re like two peas in a pod, the pair of you, only out for your own gain, not giving a rat’s arse about anyone else!’

She eyed him back with equal disgust. ‘All these years I blamed Mam for everything going wrong, when I should’ve been looking closer to home. It was your fault Mam left and your fault Gran died. What kind of son forces his own mother to stay behind during an air raid?’

Fearing his daughter would be overheard, Callum clapped his hand around her neck and over her mouth. ‘Shut your filthy, lyin’ …’

From behind, someone gripped Callum’s wrist, forcing him to release Suzie. Twisting it painfully, his assailant pulled Callum so that they were nose to nose. ‘You don’t remember me but I know all about you, Callum Haggarty,’ said Felix. ‘Your daughter’s correct. You’re a thief and a liar, and a bully to boot.’

‘Who the hell are you?’ said Callum, fearful that this man appeared to know a lot about him.

‘I’m Felix, Roz’s boyfriend, she’s told me all about you,’ hissed Felix, ‘and from what I’ve just heard, I think we need to have a word with the police, don’t you?’ Callum tried struggling, but Felix’s grip was like iron. Turning pleading eyes to his daughter, he begged her to tell Felix to let go, but Suzie shook her head.

‘If stealing off people in a raid isn’t bad enough, I just caught you red-handed trying to pick pockets.’

By now, and with Callum restrained, even more people were turning to face them.

‘Someone’s nicked me wallet,’ cried one man, ‘somebody check ’is pockets!’

Suzie deftly picked both her father’s pockets before he could move to stop her.

‘You sneaky little …’ Callum began, but Suzie silenced him with a withering glance.

‘If I am, it’s only because I learned from the best.’ She examined the three wallets and watch which she had removed from his pockets. The man who claimed to have had his pocket picked pointed at a brown leather, rather tatty-looking wallet.

‘That’s mine,’ he said, holding his hand out.

Suzie handed it over and waited for the man to check its contents. As he did so, the crowd parted to let a policeman come through.