A savage attack on a 15-year-old boy by a 'pack' of teenage girls and a teenage boy has been branded as 'disgusting' by horrified onlookers.
The boy suffered minor facial injuries after the assault which happened near to the fountains in Lowestoft's Royal Thoroughfare between 4pm and 4.45pm on Sunday, October 21.
Three teenage girls and a teenage boy called the victim's name before launching a vicious assault which left him with facial injuries.
One woman, who works at the nearby South Pier Family Entertainment Centre and wishes to remain anonymous, told of the commotion as the attack unfolded.
She said: 'There were about 15 of them out there. There was a lot of screaming and shouting.
'I saw one boy kick the other boy and pull his hair. He punched him in the face and I think he had a bloody nose. It's disgusting.'
In the end the victim ran into the family friendly arcade to take cover from the blows raining down on him.
The employee explained a large group of youths gathering in the area is nothing new and was increasingly becoming a problem.
She added: 'There is a lot of swearing and messing about and then they come in here and mess about on the machines and banging on them.
'I would like it to stop but I don't think anything will happen, they are in gangs and just egging each other on.'
For Catherine Woods, a Lowestoft mother who brings her daughter to play at the fountains, the attack was troubling but not surprising.
She said: 'It's horrific – that poor boy is going to feel terrified.
'It's not something you want to read but it's not surprising that it happened. You seem to have more and more children hanging round in a group – a lot hanging around in McDonald's.
'You see children out at times when they should be in bed - what are the parents doing?'
Christine Shaw was likewise troubled by the assault and added:'It's very concerning almost pack behaviour. Perhaps they egg each other on, almost trying to outdo each other.
'It's a situation which is very widespread.'
Anyone who saw the incident, or has knowledge of it, should contact Suffolk police via 101 quoting crime references 37/60990/18.
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