Youths blamed for attack in city

"We were taken aback when he pulled out a hammer - he looked about 15." Alex Bradfield-eder

A group of teenagers say they were threatened with a hammer and assaulted by a pack of 20 youths while passing through The Square in Palmerston North.

One of the teens suffered repeated blows to the head during the alleged February 6 attack, causing his mouth and nose to bleed.

Alex Bradfield-eder and seven friends caught the bus from Feilding to Palmerston North, where they planned to walk to Bowlarama on Cuba St.

Bradfield-eder, 14, said the incident occurred near The Square’s duck pond, outside the Palmerston North Rock Shop.

‘‘They just came out of nowhere and one of them kicked my friend in the leg,’’ he said. ‘‘At that point it was just three boys aged probably 10-13.

‘‘They were looking for a fight and before we noticed, the numbers of the group started getting bigger.

‘‘Within a minute there were around 20 of them.’’

One of the boys attempted to defend himself, but was tackled to the ground and Bradfield-eder said.

The group retreated when one of the attackers pulled a hammer from his bag, yelled obscenities and threatened to kill them with the hammer, he said.

The altercation lasted less than five minutes.

‘‘We were taken aback when he pulled out a hammer – he looked about 15. He taunted us for about one minute before we crossed the road and ran off,’’ Bradfield-eder said.

‘‘There was blood everywhere – one of my friends had a bleeding nose.’’

A police spokeswoman confirmed officers had responded to a report of a group of youths chasing another group of youths on Main St, near The Square, at 5.50pm on punched, February 6.

Police sent a patrol car around The Square following the altercation, but were unable to locate the group of alleged attackers. No-one was arrested, she said. This incident comes after concerns were raised by city retailers about groups of youths committing crimes and causing disturbances in the central city.

A group of George St business owners held a meeting late last year to discuss the groups of young teens, wearing hoodies and bandannas, who were reportedly drinking alcohol in public, intimidating passers-by, swearing, shoplifting and breaking into parked cars. At the time, police said they were aware of the issues and planned to increase patrols in the area.