Ripon suffers further violent and anti-social behaviour

Police in Ripon have further violent and anti-social behaviour to investigate this morning.

Last night a man in the city suffered cuts when he was hit in the face with a stone thrown by a thug.

The incident was reported on social media by the man’s wife, as a warning to others.

She said:

“The small minority of trouble-making kids are at it again in Ripon town centre.”

The woman advised others to take care:

The stone, which cut her husband’s forehead, narrowly missed his eye and glasses.

It was thrown by one of a group she said were ‘hanging out’ in the alley next to M&Co in Fishergate.

Pictured above is the alley near where the attack took place, and the CCTV camera on Market Square North.

Just yards away from where the incident occurred is a CCTV camera that faces onto Market Square.

Andrew Williams, the leader of Ripon City Council, told the Stray Ferret:

“I just hope that the camera captured images of the group, which can help the police with their enquiries and to make arrests.

“I’m also hopeful that the camera will assist them in catching the vandal or vandals, who smashed windows at the cabmen’s shelter at the weekend.

“It’s the second time in a matter of weeks that it has been attacked and we now face another repair bill.”

Cllr Williams, has led the city council’s calls for more patrols, high-visibility policing and use of mobile CCTV in Ripon.

He and fellow councillors have said they want to work alongside the police to eradicate Ripon’s recurring problems of violence, vandalism and criminal behaviour.

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Police were informed after three windows were smashed in the cabmen’s shelter.

It’s the second time in less than three months that the unique structure belonging to the city council has been vandalised.

Dating back to the days of horse-drawn transport — it is the UK’s only mobile listed building, after Royal Engineers installed wheels as part of a re-fit.

The shelter recently underwent a further extensive refurbishment costing £22,000, before being returned to Market Square.

Man attacked by thugs in Ripon thought they would kill him

The intervention of a Ripon retailer may have saved the life of a man who was set upon by two vicious thugs in broad daylight.

The attack took place last Tuesday afternoon and is the latest in an escalating series of violent incidents involving gangs who are terrorising the city streets.

With early morning snowfall covering pavements and Ripon Market Square the youths – most of them wearing hoodies and track-suit bottoms, had the ‘ammunition’ they needed to pelt cars as they turned into Market Place West.

The retailer, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the Stray Ferret:

“They were packing the snow into ice missiles and throwing them at passing cars.

“Then they hit a pedestrian on the back of the head and when he turned to remonstrate with them, two of the thugs set about him.

“As I came out of the shop, the man was on the ground and one of the youths was kicking him in the head, while another was stamping on his face

“I thought that they were going to kill him – I shouted at them and they ran off.”

He added:

“The youths, who were 16 or 17, towered over this poor man and overpowered him, taking him to the ground.

“It was shocking to see this happening in broad daylight on a Tuesday afternoon.”

Having scared off the attackers, the retailer tended to the man, taking him to safety in his shop.

He pointed out:

“He was clearly shaken – I asked if he wanted me to ring for an ambulance and call the police to report the incident – but he asked me not to.

“He said he just wanted to get home.

“The following day the victim – a nice, quiet gentleman in his 50s, returned to the shop with visible bruises on his face and he thanked me for coming to his aid – he said ‘when they started kicking me in the head and stamping on me, I thought I was a goner’ – sadly this is what things are coming to in Ripon.”

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Last week the Stray Ferret reported on a series of violent crimes that occurred in a short space of time during the previous weekend in the Bondgate area of the city.

Police put out an appeal for witnesses to come forward.