Two young children were bribed with sweets to fight each other in Newport by a gang of 15 youths - who filmed the fight on their mobile phones.
The two friends, aged nine and 10, were stopped by the gang in Newport’s Stafford Street car park on Tuesday night.
The gang, which included two girls, offered the boys lollipops, before standing by to watch as the pair scrapped for about 20 minutes.
One of the boys, nine-year-old Josh Molland, fled home in tears afterwards.
His father Steven Molland, said he was disgusted by what had happened.
“You hear about these happy slapping attacks, but you don’t expect it to happen to a nine-year-old,” said the 32-year-old.
“Josh is alright now, but he had to have the day off school after it happened. He had a couple of bumps on his head. It’s really annoyed me. We can’t let him go out now.
“That car park area should have CCTV. If a couple of cameras were put up it would be better.”
Josh said: “When they told me to fight I felt anxious. The fight went on for about 20 minutes. I was told not to hit people by my mother, so I was just pushing my friend away.”
Claire Molland, Josh’s mother, said: “When he came back after the incident he was distraught and in floods of tears. I have never seen him like that before.
“I’m absolutely fuming, upset and disgusted. He is my baby boy and he was bribed to fight for lollipops.”
Mrs Molland called for the area to be patrolled at all times.
Chris Ammonds, Telford police spokesman, said they had spoken to the parents and children involved, and identified some of the main perpetrators.
Telford & Wrekin Council, which owns the car park, hopes to work with the police to monitor the area.
By Lizzie Yates
18 Comments
Well thats terrible, but its happened before, like Frank Bruno, Joe Bugner, Henry Cooper, Mohamed Ali were all “bribed” to fight.
I fact I was bribed to go to work and have come back crying - terrible? No this is all part of preparing them for adulthood.
But the best thing is the Council are going to “monitor the area”.OMG will this be like the town park with childless adults? I mean will the be stopping and questioning groups of children with mobile phone for no reason other than that?
more chavs, lock ‘em up only way they will learn. more disgrace brought to our county
This is just horrid.
CCTV is not the answer. Active policing and responsible parenting is the answer to beating crime.
In my day there was no suck thing as mobile phones or camara phones. However I can clearly remember, other kids egging on fights (yes I have been the loosing victim too), nothing changes there. I look back at it all now and see it as a growing up and learning process of life. Sometimes we have to think back to when we were kids. Kids will be kids.
next.
Why on earth were children aged 9 and 10 on there own in the first place!!!!???
At night as well!
put it on u tube i could do with a laugh, they are only plebs so i can amuse myself with their silly simple ways
Another minor incident that’s an excuse for more cameras !!! Hope he enjoyed the lollipop..
Good constructive comment Devon.. Im shocked you didnt jump on your political band wagon and blame the tories!
Their parents may have been disgusted at what happened to them, and rightly so. I am also disgusted at parents who would allow their nine and ten year old children to roam around in a car park at night on their own.
This is a good lesson in honouring your debts. He took the sweets and then had fulfill his obligation.
This will be a very useful lesson for when he takes out a mortgage.
no shocked i do not blame only the tories, but the parents, a complete lack of discipline at home and at school, successive governments have stood by and watched this happen since about 1960
How come it is unacceptable to make dogs fight each other but when its children its ok, and even worth the odd self righteous comment.
I hope this never happens to your children, it must have been so intimmidating for these young kids.
Frank: The kids wern’t forced, they agreed to take the sweets in return for a fight - no coercion.
But now they winge because they came a cropper. What do you want? every kid wrapped in cotton wool so they dont understand the reality of life?
If it happened to my kids, I tell them is serves them right and give them a clip round the ear hole for being so stupid!
Honestly *tut*
I don’t suppose they felt any pressure from a surrounding gang of up to 15 youths, but maybe you were one of them and heard the conversation..
Frank: Seems like you have a different interpretation of the facts from the article - no mention that the boy felt under pressure. He was just a greedy boy who wanted the sweets, took them, then winged when he didnt like his side of the bargain. I dont hear any police investigation for assult here.
quote from the involved child. “when they told me to fight” no mention of the word asked, wonder what would of happened to them if they had said no, they may have thought it better to fight each other than to get battered by a group of youths,