Author: Gemma Berry
Publication: ThisIsBradford.co.uk
Date: September 26, 2003
URL: http://www.thisisbradford.co.uk/bradford__district/archive/2003/09/26/keig_news01.int.html
A gang of youths attacked a 13-year-old
girl as she played with a toddler on swings in a Keighley park.
As the 15-strong gang ordered her
out of Lund Park, they tipped up the pram with the three-year-old strapped
inside.
Police who were called say they
are treating the attack as a racially motivated incident.
This week the mother of the girl,who
the Keighley News has agreed not to name, said: "The children were playing
on the swings when a group of about 10 to 15 Asian teenagers approached
them.
"They started shouting racial obscenities
at them, telling them to get out of the park.
"As my daughter put the little girl
into the pram to leave, the gang tipped the pram upside-down with the toddler
strapped inside."
The attack was reported to Keighley
police and the 13-year-old has been invited to the station to look over
some photographs.
But the worried mother is concerned
by the apparent lack of action being taken after the attack.
She said: "Nobody appears to be
doing anything about the trouble in the park because they are all frightened
about the come-back.
"My daughter is now terrified of
even going to school."
Nigel Cawthorne, community safety
inspector for the Keighley police division, said: "We are treating this
particular incident as racially motivated. It is a main priority and we
are taking it very seriously."
He added: "Keighley division's Problem
Oriented Policing Team (POP) is working hard to tackle the problem of nuisance
youths in Lund Park. Holycroft Action Group is a local group which has
been set-up by the residents to tackle problems in the area.
"It involves the Keighley Anti-Crime
Partnership, councillors, schools and youth and community groups.
"Police community support officers
and park rangers, along with the POP team, are also active in the area
and frequently carry-out covert and high visibility operations in the park
to reassure the public.
In the past Lund Park has been labelled
a no-go area after a spate of attacks and anti-social behaviour.
A year ago a community group was
set-up to organise entertainment and events in a bid to encourage people
back to the park.
Chris Huggins (pictured), of Lund
Park Community Group, said: "We all like living here and we were fed-up
of everything being bad news. So we set-up the group.
"It is a small minority of people
who are trying to spoil things, but they won't stop us running events in
the park.
"The majority of people around here,
from all sections of the community, think this is a good place to live
and bring up children in.
"We are working to ensure the park
can be used and enjoyed by everybody."
