Weekend of violence (From Stroud News and Journal)

Weekend of violence

police have been blasted for a lack of presence in Stroud after a spate of ugly violence at the weekend which left one man with a fractured skull and a young boy mugged for £15.

Five people were arrested after Saturday night fever broke out at around 3am alongside the taxi rank in King Street as around 30 people were involved in fights.

The area is a notorious hot spot at the weekend after people have spilled out from the nearby nightclubs.

Six patrol cars, a police dog and a team of police eventually had to calm the mayhem but as the town was left reeling, one eye witness claimed a couple of bobbies on the beat could have prevented the melee.

Taxi driver Ted Lane who was waiting at the rank, condemned the police's handling of the situation and said there should be more regular patrols at what was a well-known trouble spot.

"If there had been a couple of coppers walking around it wouldn't have happened in the first place," he said.

Five people were arrested who all admitted to public order offences and were released after being formally cautioned.

They included a 16-year-old girl and four men aged between 17 and 22.

Mr Lane said: "Even once the arrests had been made the police dog was still there barking at people who were just waiting for a taxi." And he added: "That's intimidating and it's not fair on the dog."

Sgt Andy Stone of Stroud police told the SNJ: "We do like to have officers down there when we can but because of the way the world is we cant make sure we can have people down there all the time."

He said the King Street area was a priority for the police on a Saturday night, but added: "There were other demands on our time."

And there was more weekend trouble elsewhere.

A gang of four thugs launched a vicious attack on a man just yards from Stroud police station at 6pm on Saturday.

The 42-year-old Stonehouse man suffered a fractured skull, a broken tooth, bruised ribs and facial injuries which required stitches, after the gang beat him up in Parliament Street car park.

He managed to reach a nearby pub, where the police were called. He was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, where he was treated and released on Monday morning.

Police said the attack appeared to be unprovoked.

And a good Samaritan was in shock after his act of charity left him the victim of a mugger.

The 13-year-old boy passing the Alldays convenience store in Slad Road shortly after 7pm on Friday evening when he was approached by a man who asked if he could spare any change.

When the boy dug into his pockets and opened up his wallet the man snatched his cash and ran off into the night, taking £15.

The mugger is described as a white male aged between 25 and 30. He was 5ft 10ins tall, thin and wearing a blue or black waterproof jacket with a hood pulled up and white trainers.

He carried a small rucksack.