GREENOCK: Residents set to act on anti-social yobs

Residents set to act on anti-social yobs
http://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/article.php?sec=news&id=9210

A NEW group has been set up to try to combat anti-social behaviour in Greenock’s Bow Farm — including youths taking bottles from bottle banks and using them as missiles.

They have also been chiselling bricks out of a Bow Road wall to throw at buses and cars.
Residents are so worried they have established an action group.
They are calling for more urgent action from the council, and also want something done about drug abuse, litter and dog droppings.

Group chair Jim Campbell said today: “More than 50 people turned up at an initial meeting to discuss the issues. Very quickly, it became apparent some sort of action group was required.
“We’ve had a meeting with councillors, community police and the council’s anti-social behaviour team.
“But, six weeks on, we are still waiting for something to be done to repair the wall at the Bow Road shops and stop it being used for missiles.”

One of the area’s councillors, Iain McKenzie, told the Tele: “Sorting the wall problem is not simple, as it involves our shop tenants as well as the allocation and identification of funding.
“The process is under way and I’m confident it will not be long before a solution is in place.
“The community police are aware of this problem and have asked for information on the youths responsible for the dislodging of bricks from this wall. Members of Jim’s group can advise names for the police to make enquiries.

“Someone must recognise these youths. I don’t think they’re travelling from the other side of Inverclyde to vandalise this wall.”
The councillor said he had asked for wider consultation over removing the recycling point. He said: “Some people at the action group meeting believed we are giving into the neds and penalising the larger community if these recycling points are removed.”

WEST BROMWICH: Yobs damage golf green

Yobs damage golf green

http://www.expressandstar.co.uk/2007/07/31/yobs-damage-golf-green/

Dozens of holes have been gouged in greens at a Black Country golf course after a gang of yobs went on a late-night rampage.
The attack is the latest in a string at Dartmouth Golf Club in West Bromwich which has seen the course churned up and bricks and metal dumped on the greens.
Now desperate staff at the Vale Street site are asking police for extra patrols to stop the club becoming a target again.
Staff were met with the latest scene of destruction yesterday morning. Around 24 holes have been gouged across one of the greens and debris including house bricks and a piece of metal were found scattered across the site.
The damage will take days to repair and could cause disruption to play.
Chairman of the club’s greens committee Peter Shirley said attacks at the course had been getting worse during the last three months.
“There’s about 24 small holes gouged in the green as well as two bigger holes,” he said.
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“It can cause disruption as well as extra work and extra expense to the golf club.
“A lot of people tend to think that golf clubs are millionaire’s playgrounds but our club isn’t like that, it’s just a club for ordinary people.
“It’s very much a club for local people and when something like this happens so often it starts to affect the management of the rest of the golf club.”
Mr Shirley said it was difficult to protect the club as it covered a vast amount of space but new fencing had been put up along part of the course.
He said the club had contacted police and hoped to get extra patrols to keep the yobs at bay.
The attack is thought to have taken place sometime after 8.30pm on Monday night.
The golf course has been the scene of vandal attacks for a number of years.
Five years ago thugs caused £10,000 worth of damage when they dug up two of the greens on the golf site.

SAWLEY/DERBYSHIRE: SWAN KILLED BY YOBS IN CAR

A swan has died in agony after being run over twice by yobs in a car.
http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=124378&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231734&home=yes&more_nodeId1=124522&contentPK=17966301

Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward with information about the incident in Sawley.

It happened in the car park at Trent Lock, Lock Lane, on Friday, between 3.40pm and 4pm.

Police said a car, containing three or four men in their early twenties, drove at two swans walking in the car park.

It hit one of them and a witness said that ,when the yobs saw the protected bird was still alive, they turned the car around and hit it again.

Police and RSPCA staff were called to the scene but the wounded swan had moved into the flood plain and could not be reached. It died on the water.

PC Kelvin Hannah, wildlife and Sawley division beat officer, said: "A witness said that they heard laughter coming from the car when they ran over it a second time.

"He shouted at them but they just drove off at speed.

"That swan died an agonising death and I want to catch the people responsible for that.

"I believe there may have been a couple of people who saw what happened.

"I would ask them to please come forward and give a statement."

The yobs were in a silver or grey Vauxhall car, believed to be an Astra.

Information about the incident should be passed to PC Hannah on 0845 123 33 33, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

GREATER MANCHESTER: Pensioner dies after thugs delay medics

Pensioner dies after thugs delay medics
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/display.var.1582551.0.pensioner_dies_after_thugs_delay_medics.php

Three men have been arrested after a gang stopped an ambulance taking a seriously ill pensioner to hospital, police revealed today.

Paramedics fought desperately to save Norman Bell, 84, who collapsed from a massive heart attack while playing bowls in Ashton-in-Makerfield, near Wigan, Greater Manchester.

But as they tried to take him to hospital their vehicle was targeted by yobs who delayed the mercy mission by crucial minutes.

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One lay on the bonnet of the vehicle while two others hammered on the sides hurling abuse and threats as paramedics battled to save the pensioner's life.

The ordeal lasted around two minutes and despite the efforts of the paramedics, Mr Bell died in hospital a short time later.

Police investigating the incident have now made arrests.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: "The three men, aged 25, 22, and 21, were arrested on suspicion of affray and have been released on bail until August 10 pending further inquiries."

Mr Bell's partner, Irene Harris, 85, said she was "disgusted" at the yobs.

Father-of-one Mr Bell, a retired engineer, was playing in a bowls tournament when he fell ill on Thursday, July 19.

Ambulance chiefs condemned the youths' actions as a "sad reflection on society".

BRIGHTON: Locals ask for no-go zone to stop child yobs

Locals ask for no-go zone to stop child yobs
http://www.theargus.co.uk/mostpopular.var.1580781.mostviewed.locals_ask_for_nogo_zone_to_stop_child_yobs.php
Dog muck has been thrown onto families' lawns and a nursery school has been vandalised by a group of "devilish" children.

Hangleton residents say they are being terrorised by a gang of youngsters as young as ten.

Police have been asked to create a dispersal zone in the Brighton ward, allowing officers to take home any children roaming the streets at night.

But homeowners said young yobs have been seen out as late as 5am vandalising a local playschool.

They are also accused of ringing on neighbours' doorbells and then breaking into kitchens before pelting the homes with eggs as the owners answer their doors.

Councillor Dawn Barnett has requested the dispersal order from Sussex Police.

She said a similar notice was agreed with officers last autumn but never put into place because the children began behaving themselves.

But as the lighter evenings have returned the yobs have begun terrorising the neighbourhood again.

Coun Barnett said: "It's absolutely horrendous. They are causing complete havoc. I've had to go to the shops to tell them not to sell them eggs.

"They are running over cars, sitting on their bonnets and on the roofs. They've set fire to bins and smashed up Poppies Nursery. They are causing complete mayhem.

"They are only little so what are they doing out late at night? The oldest ones can't be much more than 14 and some of the littlest are about ten. The police know who they are.

"They go to the boxes of dogs' excrement and take the bags out, then hurl them in people's gardens.

"They need something doing. We've a lot of elderly residents on this estate and I don't want them having seven weeks of harassment in the school holidays.

"This is a nice area but this small minority is spoiling it for everyone else."

The councillor has met with police who have agreed to monitor the situation over the coming weeks and speak to parents.

But Lisa Newton, the manager of Poppies Nursery in West Way, Hangleton, said the help couldn't come too soon.

She said: "There is a glass building out of the front of the nursery and 14 panes were smashed in May.

"We've just had it all sorted but we had all the doors and windows covered in mud on Tuesday night.

"Then on Wednesday night they climbed over the wall and put all the children's toys on the roof. A neighbour reported them doing it at 5am.

"It's pure wanton destruction. It's the devilment and satisfaction they get out of destroying something belonging to someone else."

Anyone with information is asked to call Sussex Police on 0845 6070999 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Man 'died at hands of young mob'

LONDON:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6923987.stm

Man 'died at hands of young mob'

Ernest Norton lived a "fit and active" lifestyle

A man died when he and his son were pelted with sticks and stones as they played cricket, a court has heard.

The Old Bailey heard the pair were attacked by a jeering mob of children aged between 10 and 13.

Ernest Norton, 67, was at Erith Leisure Centre in south-east London in February 2006 when he was hit on the head by a missile and suffered a heart attack.

Prosecutors said the five accused, who deny manslaughter and violent disorder, were jointly responsible for the death.

Fractured cheekbone

The court heard Mr Norton was playing cricket on an outdoor pitch with his 17-year-old son James when up to 15 youths gathered at the fence and began shouting abuse.

David Fisher QC, prosecuting, said: "As the abuse worsened, the group began throwing stones and pieces of wood at father and son.

"Ernest Norton was struck at least twice on the head by these missiles.

"One of the stones hit him on the left side of his face causing a fracture to his cheekbone."

It was their joint course of conduct, quite probably with others, that caused his death David Fisher QC, prosecutor

He suffered a heart attack and, despite receiving medical attention at the scene, died later that afternoon.

Mr Fisher said the mob, including the five accused, ran off after the "unnecessary, pointless and random attack".

Th court was tols a young girl had witnessed the attack and named a boy who had thrown a large stone, the size of half a brick, which hit Mr Norton on the head.

Jurors heard that Mr Norton, who lived with his wife and son in Erith, had undergone a triple bypass operation in 1977 but had a "fit and active lifestyle".

The prosecution said he was in good health on the day he died but "the stress and trauma of abuse and a physical attack would make him vulnerable to a heart attack".

Those accused include two brothers aged 12 and 13, one boy aged 13 and two 14-year-olds. Mr Fisher said "their youth is no defence".

"They were quite old enough to know that to abuse Ernest Norton and his son was wrong and that to throw stones and pieces of wood at them was wrong.

"It was their joint course of conduct, quite probably with others, that caused his death."

The case continues.

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