Mum's call for alcohol-free zone (From Kidderminster Shuttle)
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Mum's call for alcohol-free zone
8:20am Friday 19th October 2012 in News
By Cadisha Brown
A CONCERNED mother is calling for Kidderminster to become an alcohol-free zone after her teenage daughter was forced to hand over cash to a group of drunken yobs.
Claire Carter said her daughter Leah Gittins, 16, was approached by two “drunk” women and a man who demanded she hand them her iPhone as she waited for a bus in Oxford Street, at 12.45pm on Monday.
When the youngster, who was on her way home from Worcester College of Technology, refused, they demanded money and she was forced to hand over £2.
The yobs are also believed to have approached two other people on the same day and Mrs Carter, of Stourport, now wants to warn other vulnerable bus users that they could be targeted.
“As my daughter got on the bus they then approached an elderly lady,” said Mrs Carter.
“I’m so angry about it. They hang around the seating area in Oxford Street and the bus stop is right by it.
They are waiting for the right person to come along.”
She added: “One of the women approached Leah and said ‘I want your phone’.
“Leah said ‘you can’t have it’ and she said ‘give me your phone or your money’.
“You can see by looking at [Leah] she’s vulnerable and they targeted her and it’s disgusting. She was absolutely frightened to death.
She’s scared about them seeing her again.”
Mrs Carter added that one of the women was believed to be in her late 30s while the other two people were slightly older.
“How many more people have they done it to?” Mrs Carter said, adding she wanted to start a campaign to stop drinking in the town.
“I want to prevent this kind of thing from happening. I think the town centre should be an alcoholfree zone.”
A spokeswoman for West Mercia Police said officers were due to meet Mrs Carter yesterday.
She added local policing officers would be “paying attention” to the area in case it was an ongoing problem.
Comments(9)
maximuss1
says...
8:57am Fri 19 Oct 12
oldmanbewdley
says...
10:36am Fri 19 Oct 12
maximuss1 wrote:I saw one going to greggs the other day.
what do you expect no police = crime, when was the last time anyone saw a police officer patroling the town??
fizzlywizzly
says...
11:50am Fri 19 Oct 12
comberton hill questions
says...
12:11pm Fri 19 Oct 12
It is a sad day when a 16 year old girl cannot wait for a bus in safety and as her Mum says is now frightened. I hope this article gets someone reviewing CCTV with a Kidderminster PC so that these people can be indentified and prosecuted. Although no doubt a slap on wrist will occur.
The police numbers have been reduced by the budget cuts that have been introduced and the numbers are going to carry on falling as the police have to save money which in turn will increase this type of behaviour.
walkerno5
says...
12:41pm Fri 19 Oct 12
If these folks are already commiting crimes, and getting away with them, how will making the alcohol they're holding a further crime make it any more likely that the original act that is causing a problem will stop?
Not really addressing the problem is it.
comberton hill questions
says...
12:51pm Fri 19 Oct 12
Whereas having the legal mechanism in place at least allows the situation to be addressed. Your point regarding the policing numbers is valid but is an issue in itself which needs to be addressed. Saying there are no police so lets not bother is nto really the answer.
It is not the law that is the problem it is the enforcement of the law and lets hope whoever becomes the police commissioner can change the way that policing operates.
walkerno5
says...
3:15pm Fri 19 Oct 12
If you have enough police in town to enforce already existing laws and bylaws, you do not need to create an alcohol free zone as it becomes superfluous. In fact all it does is create more potential "crime" as people inadvertently break the poorly advertised bylaw by daring to have a beer in the sun. Drinking outside is not in and of itself a problem, so why target that?
The only folks who would pay any attention to such a zone would be those who would not dream of causing crime and nuisance anyway.
I presume that the victims reported the crimes as well? Not much the police can do about them otherwise.
harryurz
says...
6:17pm Sat 20 Oct 12
Had I been waiting for the bus there would be no way she would have continued to be intimidated in this way....surely its up to us as individuals to ensure low lifes like this know they can't get away with it- drunk or not.
davewal says...
9:07am Thu 18 Oct 12