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Yobs attack couple with hail of stones
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| Burt Hilton shows the stones that were thrown at him and his wife June while they were having a barbecue on the beach at Weymouth |
TEENAGE yobs pelted a couple with stones as they sat down to enjoy a barbecue on Weymouth Beach.
Burt Hilton and his wife June say they now no longer want to use their £240 a year hut for fear of further attacks.
Retired warehouse manager Mr Hilton said one of the stones, weighing half a pound, struck him on the chest and narrowly missed June's head.
Mr Hilton, 74, of Preston, Weymouth, said he and June were sitting two huts down on the seafront from a group of teenagers when the trouble began.
He said: "June and I had just got down to the beach with a disposable barbecue and some food.
"We had just started cooking when these stones started pinging off our hut.
"I was sat out by a windbreaker and one of these two stones, which weigh a good half a pound each, flew over and struck me with a fair bit of force on the chest.
"Looking back on it, the scariest thing is that June was sitting between me and them at the time.
"The trajectory of that rock could have hit her in the head, and I dread to think what that could have caused."
Mr Hilton said he confronted the youths but quickly realised he could be in trouble if the situation worsened.
He said: "I'm a fairly big bloke.
"I'm a good 6'2'' and about 16-stone, but the problem is I'm almost 75.
"If that group had decided to set about me I wouldn't have stood a chance."
Mr Hilton said he returned to his wife only to be subjected to another salvo of stones, at which point he called 999.
He added: "I was on the phone to the police from inside the hut and the girl on the other end said she could hear the stones hitting it. An officer came down later but the group had gone."
Mr Hilton said the incident was very scary' and that he and his wife no longer want to use the hut.
A spokesman for Dorset Police confirmed an officer attended and made a search of the area after Mr Hilton's call, but that the suspects had disappeared.
9:47am Monday 21st July 2008
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CommentPosted by: Atalanta on 10:02am Mon 21 Jul 08
[quote]An officer came down later but the group had gone.[/quote]
Pointless calling the police, they never arrive until 'later' once whomever has gone. It's like they don't want to deal with incidents that are in the process of taking place.
Don't let it put you off using your hut Mr Hilton, there are many more decent young people than there are thugs.
An officer came down later but the group had gone.
Pointless calling the police, they never arrive until 'later' once whomever has gone. It's like they don't want to deal with incidents that are in the process of taking place.
Don't let it put you off using your hut Mr Hilton, there are many more decent young people than there are thugs.
Posted by: techie, Weymouth on 10:59am Mon 21 Jul 08
[quote]Pointless calling the police, they never arrive until 'later' once whomever has gone. It's like they don't want to deal with incidents that are in the process of taking place.[/quote]
Or they simply can't be everywhere at once.
Pointless calling the police, they never arrive until 'later' once whomever has gone. It's like they don't want to deal with incidents that are in the process of taking place.
Or they simply can't be everywhere at once.
Posted by: Wykeite, Weymouth on 11:44am Mon 21 Jul 08
Sadly the days have gone where you grab one of those animals and march him ot her back home to face thier parents. Also, what about the CCTV all along the seafront, why was this not used to watch the group?
Again our taxes are being wasted on a police force that does not turn up in time and a CCTV network that is not used.
Sadly the days have gone where you grab one of those animals and march him ot her back home to face thier parents. Also, what about the CCTV all along the seafront, why was this not used to watch the group?
Again our taxes are being wasted on a police force that does not turn up in time and a CCTV network that is not used.
Posted by: Jeepster, Weymouth on 11:47am Mon 21 Jul 08
I can really sympathise with Mr Hilton whose age dosent make any difference as what can any of us (even the most fittest) do to them? If anyone has found the answer, please let me know.
I can really sympathise with Mr Hilton whose age dosent make any difference as what can any of us (even the most fittest) do to them? If anyone has found the answer, please let me know.
Posted by: dunketh, Portland on 2:57pm Mon 21 Jul 08
Such a shame the chap isnt a little younger or didnt have more blokes with him at the BBQ.
A through beating would have sorted the problem, if the whiney little yobs had the cheek to complain to the police themselves there'd be plenty of witnesses to it never happening.
Such a shame the chap isnt a little younger or didnt have more blokes with him at the BBQ.
A through beating would have sorted the problem, if the whiney little yobs had the cheek to complain to the police themselves there'd be plenty of witnesses to it never happening.
Posted by: Fabian, Weymouth on 2:58pm Mon 21 Jul 08
Very rarely do I actually want to know more after reading an echo article, but in this case I do! What exactly was the response of these young people when they were approached? Were they local or on holiday? I agree with Mr Hilton; his age was against him, but I don't think you should take a defeatest attitude and say nothing can be done. Everything can and should be done to stop this happening again. CCTV, community police patrols, members of the public being vigilant. Certainly one incident should not stop decent people from enjoying themselves.
Very rarely do I actually want to know more after reading an echo article, but in this case I do! What exactly was the response of these young people when they were approached? Were they local or on holiday? I agree with Mr Hilton; his age was against him, but I don't think you should take a defeatest attitude and say nothing can be done. Everything can and should be done to stop this happening again. CCTV, community police patrols, members of the public being vigilant. Certainly one incident should not stop decent people from enjoying themselves.
Posted by: Ask Archie, Weymouth on 3:43pm Mon 21 Jul 08
[quote]59am today
[quote]Pointless calling the police, they never arrive until 'later' once whomever has gone. It's like they don't want to deal with incidents that are in the process of taking place.[/quote] Or they simply can't be everywhere at once.
Pointless calling the police, they[/quote] I think Techie was probably right.
59am today
Pointless calling the police, they never arrive until 'later' once whomever has gone. It's like they don't want to deal with incidents that are in the process of taking place.
Or they simply can't be everywhere at once.
Pointless calling the police, they
I think Techie was probably right.
Posted by: Gladys, Weymouth on 8:35pm Mon 21 Jul 08
Young people carry knives in order to protect themselves, as the police never turn up until all risk of confronting yobs is safely over. Mr. Hilton should do the same.
Perhaps a vigilante group should be set up to protect innocent people from thuggery.
Young people carry knives in order to protect themselves, as the police never turn up until all risk of confronting yobs is safely over. Mr. Hilton should do the same.
Perhaps a vigilante group should be set up to protect innocent people from thuggery.
Posted by: pachyderm on 9:12pm Mon 21 Jul 08
[quote][bold]Gladys[/bold] wrote:
Young people carry knives in order to protect themselves, as the police never turn up until all risk of confronting yobs is safely over. Mr. Hilton should do the same. Perhaps a vigilante group should be set up to protect innocent people from thuggery. [/quote] I keep an axe in my garden shed just in case we get gate crashers at the BBQ.
This must be working because it's never happened yet.
P.S.
When you form your vigilante group, can I bring my big chopper?
Gladys wrote:
Young people carry knives in order to protect themselves, as the police never turn up until all risk of confronting yobs is safely over. Mr. Hilton should do the same. Perhaps a vigilante group should be set up to protect innocent people from thuggery.
I keep an axe in my garden shed just in case we get gate crashers at the BBQ.
This must be working because it's never happened yet.
P.S.
When you form your vigilante group, can I bring my big chopper?
Posted by: LEC, Dorchester on 8:53am Tue 22 Jul 08
[quote][bold]Gladys[/bold] wrote:
Young people carry knives in order to protect themselves, as the police never turn up until all risk of confronting yobs is safely over. Mr. Hilton should do the same. Perhaps a vigilante group should be set up to protect innocent people from thuggery. [/quote] Gladys, I do sincerely hope your tongue is firmly wedged in your cheek...
Gladys wrote:
Young people carry knives in order to protect themselves, as the police never turn up until all risk of confronting yobs is safely over. Mr. Hilton should do the same. Perhaps a vigilante group should be set up to protect innocent people from thuggery.
Gladys, I do sincerely hope your tongue is firmly wedged in your cheek...
Posted by: local resident, weymouth on 11:10am Sun 27 Jul 08
I bet if he pulled out a 12 bore and let a couple of shots off in the air those yobs would be on the phone to the police and they would be there in seconds. The only trouble they would not be interested in the yobs hurling rocks, just the fact that you let of a couple of shots in the air. You have the government to thank for this generation of feral youth.
I bet if he pulled out a 12 bore and let a couple of shots off in the air those yobs would be on the phone to the police and they would be there in seconds. The only trouble they would not be interested in the yobs hurling rocks, just the fact that you let of a couple of shots in the air. You have the government to thank for this generation of feral youth.
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