OAPs tell teen yobs who ruined their boules: We’ll take you on (at petanque)
A TEAM of elderly boules players who were pelted with eggs by teenagers as they played on a Saturday afternoon have challenged them to a match.
The pensioners, the oldest of whom is 89, say they are regularly abused by youths who hang out next to the petanque court and try to bully them.
While they usually ignore the teens, they felt unable to when they started throwing eggs at them. Peter Hulcoop, the youngest player at 69, said: ‘We always hear them and they throw the odd stone over. We can always smell the weed they’re smoking – it’s unbelievable, it makes you feel dizzy.
‘They also walk and cycle through the middle of the court when we’re playing which not only ruins the surface but it’s dangerous. They just try to be annoying.’
Mr Hulcoop said six of the gang, who he thinks are aged from 14 to 17, tried to ruin their game last Saturday at the court in Ramsgate, Kent.
He said at first a couple of eggs were thrown over a brick wall at the side of the court, which they tried not to react to. But he added that an argument ensued, after which the teenagers returned with two dozen eggs and started aiming them at the pensioners.
Mr Hulcoop said: ‘One hit me in the stomach, it didn’t break, and it fell to the ground. One egg went past me and hit the oldest member of our group on the jacket.
‘He’s had several medical scares and walks with a Zimmer frame.’ The group reported the incident to the police, who are investigating. But Mr Hulcoop said he thinks the youngsters are simply bored and a game of boules would do them good. He added: ‘There is nothing for them to do in Ramsgate. They could join us but it’s not cool to play boules. ‘There’s nothing for us to do either, but we pensioners are trying to do something about it.’ He thinks a game of boules would do the youngsters good. ‘We are throwing our steel balls from a great distance and coming within two centimetres of our mark.
‘We train three times a week. These teens wasted two dozen eggs and only got two hits. It’s not a competition on accuracy, but if it was we all know who would win.’
A Kent Police spokesman said: ‘At 1.21pm on Saturday police received a report that a group of young people had behaved antisocially towards another group of people in Charlotte Court.
‘No injuries were reported and officers were advised the young people had dispersed.’