Controversial in life, British ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher continued to divide the nation in death, with sombre plans for a funeral and eulogies rejected by some in favour of celebrations and parties.

As Britain buzzed with the news on Monday (April 8) afternoon that the "Iron Lady" had died, not everyone was in mourning.

In Brixton, south London - the scene of fierce rioting in the 1980s, blamed on deep social divisions as well as racial tensions - a hastily convened party was gathering pace.

People celebrated the news with music and shouted slogans like "Ding Dong, the witch is dead", with one man holding a poster that read: "Rejoice. Thatcher is dead."

A woman was seen carrying a bottle of milk, a reference to Thatcher's policy of scrapping free milk for primary school children while head of education in the 1970s, a move which earned her the moniker "Thatcher the milk snatcher."

"That woman made my youth a misery. I think that she was to blame for most of ills of society. And most of the things that poor people and ill people are now being blamed were her fault," said Claire.

As policeman watched on, others arrived clutching cans of lager and bottles of wine and shouting 'she's dead!'

"Thatcher's death - I think it's a celebration around the world. Millions of people know she started a legacy and that legacy was turning over public services and starting the greed for the bankers, and I think everyone knows it started in Britain and she continued that across her legacy and today everyone who don't want that are celebrating that," said Rahul Patel.

By early evening, a quickly rising 199,000 people had "liked" the isthatcherdeadyet.co.uk website, which had been updated with a large block-capital "Yes."

The site encouraged visitors to party and provided a soundtrack.

"Margaret Thatcher's dead. This lady's not returning," said the site. The phrase is a play on words of Thatcher's famous remark 'The lady's not for turning', which she said in a speech in 1980 at a political conference to those in her own Conservative party who were urging her to moderate her radical, right-wing polices.

Those policies, credited by some with modernising Britain, alienated many, who saw her as a destroyer of jobs and traditional industries.

Presented by Adam Justice

https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/thatcher-death-party-455054