‘WHEN YOU RING 999 YOU DON’T EXPECT TO HAVE TO WAIT 5 DAYS’

Police apologise and pledge to investigate ‘metal bar attack’

POLICE have issued an apology to a family who were still waiting for a response to an emergency call - five days after reporting an attack on a man.

Andrea Jones dialled the emergency number after her daughter’s boyfriend, Kyle Dring, had been hit with a metal bar on Leonard Street in Burslem.

Kyle says he was struck with the weapon by a man at around 7.20pm on October 29 – after a row over a gate.

The 20-year-old recalled: “I had gone out to help out my girlfriend’s mum with the gate and the next thing I knew I was hit with a bar.

“My back is all bruised from it and it knocked me sick. He was aggressive and drunk.

“We were all waiting for the police and they never came, it’s disgraceful. I feel disappointed in them.

“I struggle to walk past where it happened on my own. It’s had a negative effect on me.”

Andrea, aged 47, said: “I just panicked so I grabbed my phone and thought the police needed to come. We are still waiting for them to come.

“It’s scaring me because my partner and son suffer from PTSD and they are irate at the moment. Nobody is sleeping.

“The minute we hear a noise we are up at the windows.

“I’ve got to the point where I’ve had to buy a security camera. It’s really scary.

“It’s really intimidating. If anything else happens we’ve got the evidence on camera.

“It’s ridiculous we are still waiting for a 999 call. When you ring 999 you expect them to come within half an hour at least.”

A spokesperson for Staffordshire Police said: “We apologise that our response didn’t meet Ms Evans’ expectations, and want to reassure her we will investigate the incident thoroughly with her assistance.”