A MUM has described her shock after her 20-year-old son was allegedly jumped on and attacked by a gang of balaclava-clad youths.
The frightening attack reportedly happened at around 5pm on Sunday, June 18, in the subway under the East Lancashire Road, which leads from Clinkham Wood to Haresfinch.
The victim, who had been riding his bike back from work, had stopped after seeing a couple of friends, when he was attacked by the group, his mum alleges.
“Between 4.45pm and 5pm my son was riding his bike up towards the Lancs and he saw a couple of his friends who stopped in the subway and had a cigarette,” the victim’s mum told the Star.
“He was talking to his friends, he’d only been there for about 10 minutes and he said he’d seen a man walk through the subway, probably a bit older than myself and he walked down through the subway and back down towards Clinkham Wood.
“No more than 30 seconds later, two young males and wearing balaclavas started running towards my son.”
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In total, 10 youths were involved in the attack in which the victim was “repeatedly hit”.
As well as attacking the victim, they took his new bike, which he uses to travel to and from work, and also went through his work bag.
The offenders, are described as wearing balaclavas black clothes and shorts, and aged around between 16 and 18.
“They were like what you see in American music videos, and it’s in St Helens, it just scares me,” added the mum, who asked for her son’s identity to be kept anonymous.
The victim, who attended Whiston Hospital was left with swelling on his jaw and soft tissue damage, by the attack.
His mum said: “I have had people telling me they must have then gone to Haresfinch and to Tesco at Windle Island, and then back down the Lancs and on to the Chain Lane area. I hope we can link together the story and pieces of evidence.”
'This has got to stop'
She added: “It is just unbelievable and I am still in shock. My son said to me ‘I didn’t want to fight back, they were younger than me and I didn’t know if they had weapons on them.’
“This could have been a very different conversation and the reality is this is the next generation. I have a daughter who is nearly 12 and I don’t let her play out.
“This has got to stop, it is just ludicrous.”
She said the incident has been reported to police.
- Anyone with information can contact police quoting reference 23000533168.
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