A MOTHER and daughter were victims of a malicious, unprovoked attack where local yobs flung faeces at them as they walked their dogs.
The daughter (19), who wants to remain anonymous, told The Wokingham Paper that a group of teenage boys carried out the attack in Joel Park on Wednesday, January 9. The two women entered the park around 2.30pm with their two dogs.
A gang of four or five hooded teenagers, who the daughter says were “probably around 16 or 17”, were hanging around the grassy area. She emphasised how uncomfortable she was before the boys had even thrown anything, saying that “in that situation, I wouldn’t want to be on my own” and “I was glad my mum was with me.”
She continued: “We noticed them as soon as we walked into the park – all with their hoods up, coupled with BMX bikes.
“All the bins were turned out and litter was everywhere.
“As we were finishing off our walk, I noticed them go and hide behind some brambles around 20 metres from us.
“They hurled a dog poo bag, which they had just got out of the dog waste bin, at Mum, scraping my Mum’s shoulder and nearly hitting us.”
The boys then ran off and the duo called 101 to get a patrol officer to the park.
As they left the park, they crossed paths with an elderly woman and informed her of the incident.
Upon hearing about the hooded teenagers, the woman said “I’m not good with that” and, according to the daughter, seemed “fearful”.
The daughter herself said she was “really angry” to have been on the receiving end of the anti-social attack.
Commenting on the recent rise in antisocial behaviour, she said: “Me and mum think it’s because there are fewer patrols or ‘friendly police officers’ roaming around these areas anymore – I used to notice them when I was at school and they were lovely.”
When the patrol officer on duty called the mother half an hour later having checked on the park, the boys had already left.
The police have requested that the mother makes a statement on the incident.
Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Anthony Stansfeld, said: “I am concerned about any rise in anti-social behaviour.
“I have brought this to the attention of the local police commander and asked that it be looked into.”
