Park assault prompts multi-agency action

Published Wednesday, 22nd July 2020

Additional measures are being put in place to reassure local residents and visitors to a Hartlepool park following a serious assault on a teenage girl.

The 13-year-old victim was approached by a group of around 10 boys, thought to be aged between 15 and 16, who hit her with a stick, causing injuries to her neck which required hospital treatment. She was also punched in the face and her bicycle damaged in the incident in Ward Jackson Park between 8pm and 8.30pm on Tuesday (July 21st).

Hartlepool Borough Council and Cleveland Police – both part of the Hartlepool Community Safety Team and members of the Safer Hartlepool Partnership – have taken immediate action to increase their presence in the area.

The Hartlepool Neighbourhood Policing Team is stepping up patrols, while the Council’s Civil Enforcement Officers and new Community Street Ambassadors are also offering reassurance.

In addition, the Council has re-engaged the town’s Bob Farrow Centre to provide a Youth Outreach Service.

Councillor Shane Moore, Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council and Chair of the Safer Hartlepool Partnership, said “Our thoughts are with the victim of this unprovoked attack.

“There is no place for incidents such as this in the town and members of the Safer Hartlepool Partnership will be working closely together to both identify and deal with those responsible.”

He urged parents to be aware of what their children were doing, and to contact Cleveland Police if they suspected their children were involved in the assault.

Anyone who may have been in the area at that time of the incident or who has CCTV footage which may assist the police, is asked to call 101, quoting reference 118044.