Gang bottles man in litter row (From News Shopper)

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Gang bottles man in litter row

1:45pm Monday 16th June 2008

comment Comments (47) Have your say »

By Dan Keel »

A GANG of youths smashed bottles over a man's head when he asked them to clean up some broken glass.

Stephen White, of Martens Avenue, Bexleyheath, said he approached a group of around 25 youngsters in Martens Grove Park near his house on Friday (June 13) after spotting them smashing bottles on the ground.

He claimed the youths then surrounded him before two of the gang members hit him on the head with bottles. He then fell to the floor before being repeatedly kicked in the head.

Mr White was left with a broken nose, cuts to his face and head, two badly swollen eyes and a split lip.

Speaking after the incident, which happened at around 8pm, the 46-year-old sales manager said: "I was walking my dog through the park and for some reason there were more people around than usual.

"A group of them were drinking and smashing bottles. I went back home to pick up a couple of bin liners and returned to the park to ask them to clear up their mess.

"One of them swore at me and then all of a sudden I had two bottles smashed on my head. I fell to the ground and curled up in a ball to protect myself.

"I took a kick in the face which broke my nose and a few others put the boot in as well."

The married father-of-two added: "Two young girls, who were also in the park, persuaded them to stop. The girls then helped take me home.

"My two kids burst into tears when they saw me."

Bexley police and an ambulance visited Mr White's home. He was taken to Darent Valley Hospital and discharged the same evening.

A spokesman for Bexley police said: "We can confirm that we are investigating the incident and following a number of lines of inquiry."

Call police with information on 0208 301 1212.

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anon, Greenhithe says...
2:44pm Mon 16 Jun 08

Absolutely disgusting, as a 19 year old i am so shocked how anyone could have so much evilness to do this to someone. Its becoming more and more common though, and sooner or later im afraid its going to happen to my own 'grandad, uncle etc' Its easy to blame other people for these terrible acts but really these kids are mentally deranged.

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G, says...
2:58pm Mon 16 Jun 08

...and on these very pages people write that more and more of us ought to confront these youngsters when they are misbehaving! Now look what happens! Absolutely dispicable! I hope Mr White recovers fully from his ordeal physically and mentally. This was an act of care and consideration for others on his part and the poor fellow paid the price for his bravado. I hope they catch the buggers, pity the police haven't got the power to give them a good hiding! They blooody deserve it!

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Jack, Charlton says...
2:59pm Mon 16 Jun 08

I hope you recover quickly Stephen. I am sorry that because you were trying to do the right thing you were attacked in this way. Lets hope these people get caught and punished severely.

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gipo jack, thamesmead blockss says...
3:11pm Mon 16 Jun 08

IT WAS DA WHITE RA GROUP FRM BEXLEYHEATH THAT COMMITED THIS ATTACK THEY HANG AROUND IN BEXLEYHEATH INTIMADATE PEOPLE AND GET DRUNK AND START FIGHTING YET THE POLICE STATION IS AROUND THE CORNER !!!!!

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mt, says...
3:23pm Mon 16 Jun 08

just an idea....gipo jack...why dont you pootle on down the police station if your so sure ? ?

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anita, dartford says...
3:25pm Mon 16 Jun 08

Poor man. Another day in the life of a group of scum bags. Hope you are reading these comments you scum. I hope they get named and shamed, at lease their parents will know what they get up to and what these scum are capable of. If that's true it was the RA. Well RA them into the army they hang around in big groups because individually they ALL have yellow lines running down their backs. Stupid idiots go and get a job.

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local, Swanley says...
3:37pm Mon 16 Jun 08

Unfortunately youngsters are not taught repsect for their elders any more.
I pointed out to three teenagers that they had dropped sweet wrappers onto the ground within sight of a bin in Swanley Town Centre. Not only did I receive verbal abuse but the mother came out of a shop and joined in!
Blame the parents - yob attitude breeds yob attitude.
If tehy were dogs they'd be neutured or destroyed.

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drew, dartford says...
4:22pm Mon 16 Jun 08

The police won't waste the man power on jobs like this, because the crown prosecution service don't like pursuing minors through courts.
I bet once the media coverage dies down so will the police interest? Lets hunt them down like the pack of animals they are and punish them in a way they won't forget in a hurry i.e 5 years hard labour, without the frills of T.V. Snooker or happy hour!!

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Susan, bexley says...
4:44pm Mon 16 Jun 08

Makes you think twice about standing up for whats right! I always get kids come up to me asking to buy them booze and fags and always say no but it makes you wonder what there reaction to the word no will be when clearly so many other people are saying yes to these kids, Hope you recover fully Mr White!!

Drew it don't happen like that at all, I know of someone in prision at the mo for committing a mugging and he got 9 months in his own cell with a tv and play station and don't have to anything!!

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me here........, bexleyheath says...
5:12pm Mon 16 Jun 08

This country has gone to pot.The people who have got the power to do something wont until something happens to someone they love. Kids are ruling our streets at the moment and thats the way its going to stay until the courts get tougher and the prisons take away all the play stations sky tv and all other nice stuff which makes being in prison a nice place to be.

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me here........, bexleyheath says...
5:14pm Mon 16 Jun 08

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regular reader, says...
5:22pm Mon 16 Jun 08

There was a programme on TV a while ago and they said that we were to challange people that drop litter/grafiti everywhere, they wonder why we don't! Let's face it, most people don't say a thing because they are scared of young yobs. Freedom of speach and respect for elders is going out the window - society has changed certainly for the worst and it is not going to get better - it is already out of control!!

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Calm down, Liverpool says...
5:51pm Mon 16 Jun 08

If it really is the residents assocciation that did this they should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. What did he ever do to them?

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c shell, bexley says...
7:13pm Mon 16 Jun 08

...and these kids are rewarded in the form of Oyster cards so they can obtain free travel to go on to the next town and commit even more grief to others.Not only do they get this free travel, they get free holidays at Her Majesty's Pleasure ! Get well soon to the poor man who suffered this grief and next time just walk away dont be a hero.

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Matt, Sidcup says...
7:58pm Mon 16 Jun 08

I'm disgusted yet not shocked st this latest event. The violence round here seems to be totally out of control. I'd like to see them try it with my black belt martial art friends. That would give them a shock. I appreciate the Police can only act within the law but I'm sure some vigilante groups will develop in the not so distant future. We can't have children running the streets.

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pete beat, kent says...
8:28pm Mon 16 Jun 08

gipo jack wrote:
IT WAS DA WHITE RA GROUP FRM BEXLEYHEATH THAT COMMITED THIS ATTACK THEY HANG AROUND IN BEXLEYHEATH INTIMADATE PEOPLE AND GET DRUNK AND START FIGHTING YET THE POLICE STATION IS AROUND THE CORNER !!!!!

If there is one group of people who are no good its , lesbians

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Aneesha, chaville says...
8:47pm Mon 16 Jun 08

I ang rand dat park mainly at nite wit me posse, sept when enders is on cos dats ow i lernt ow to be a-gresive and argue wit people all da time. but i wernt there dat nite cos big bruver wos on then cos dats my favrite at the moment cos skins aint on. If you a-dults watch skins you will see dats wot us teen-agers should akt like cos it says you ave to get **** and take drugs all the time to av fun stupids!

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average person bexleyheath, bexleyheath says...
8:57pm Mon 16 Jun 08

Aneesha, if what you have written is not a wind up you really are the 'stupid' one. They are TV programmes not REAL LIFE. Deeeeerr! I think our army should return from abroad and police our streets and anyone caught misbehaving be sent abroad to fight. Then maybe some respect might come back to them. Worth a try?

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Dave, Abbey Wood says...
9:40pm Mon 16 Jun 08

Some posts on News Shopper must be a wind up, what language are they speaking (typing)?

Anyway, I hope Mr Stephen White recovers soon - you done the right thing but it was done in the wrong generation.

Having repect for others is long gone and will not return.
The rot has set in and there is no cure.

As a nation, we are too soft.

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steve, sidcup says...
10:17pm Mon 16 Jun 08

So safer neighbourhoods really work then,NOT !!!.As for Bexley being one of the safest Boroughs this is becoming a joke that is not actually funny. Get some real Police on the streets and not the plastic plod you see in gangs in the Broadway shopping

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B Reynolds, County of Kent says...
12:26am Tue 17 Jun 08

You hear the constant drone from the social worker classes that these street freaks are misunderstood, have bad starts in life etc. The reality in Britain is that the parents have no values and the street freaks are simply ferral. The yobs or yellow bellies that committed this crime against a man who is trying to maintain order on his area are deserve nothing from this country and cannot be reeducated into society. There are two options, bring back national service or a cheaper and quicker solution, a simply injection.

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DREARY, Coronationa Street says...
7:12am Tue 17 Jun 08

Aneesha wrote:
I ang rand dat park mainly at nite wit me posse, sept when enders is on cos dats ow i lernt ow to be a-gresive and argue wit people all da time. but i wernt there dat nite cos big bruver wos on then cos dats my favrite at the moment cos skins aint on. If you a-dults watch skins you will see dats wot us teen-agers should akt like cos it says you ave to get **** and take drugs all the time to av fun stupids!

Quality!!!!!

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Your Lord, Erastus Theobald Piggott, The Garden says...
8:50am Tue 17 Jun 08

It is a wonder the police did not come out with their standard comment:

'There's not really a lot we can do about it'.

This incident will be filed away and forgotten about just like all the other attacks of recent months.

If you confront a gang of kids who are drinking and smashing bottles, do you really think they would be intimidated by a bin liner and a dustpan and brush?

The man is lucky to be alive.

Your Lord, Erastus Theobald Piggott

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Moi, Here says...
9:23am Tue 17 Jun 08

The area in which the incident happened is know for the RA. Im oviously not 100% sure that is what them but a large group of boys in Martin's Grove ... come on now we all should have a strong idea!!!! The police around places were crime is high are pathetic. They are scared and never on time! There has been a number of situations that have happened infront of me or have been disuced with my friends and it always ends up with the police arresting the wrong people which are doing the right thing or them taking half hour to get there when everybody knows THATS TOO LATE!! Police need to patrol everywhere and not comunity police because young kids have heard that they cannot arrest you as they have to wait for an acutal police const!! DO SOMETHING BECAUASE IT MAKE ME SICK!

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ash, london says...
9:44am Tue 17 Jun 08

look at some off these idiots who write blogs on this website they cant even spell english let alone speak it!!!
I beleive that all hoodies and chav scum should be sent to the front line to fight in Irag or Afghanastan, then we will see how HARD and BAD this disgrace to the British Isles really are!! i bet they would cry like babies!!!
SCUM!!!!!!!

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anita, dartford says...
10:48am Tue 17 Jun 08

Ash of London I agree with you but most of them are too thick to join the Army and have yellow streaks down their backs. I suggest they go to a local morgue to see somebody that has been knifed or shot and meet the relatives of the deceased. Perhaps it might open their sad eyes to reality.

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Your Lord, Erastus Theobald Piggott, The Library says...
10:55am Tue 17 Jun 08

They are not blogs, they are comments.

Your Lord, Erastus Theobald Piggott

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Chav hater, says...
12:57pm Tue 17 Jun 08

I hope the sl@gs that did this get badly beaten very soon. Dirty chav scum

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Jo Bailey, Dartford says...
1:06pm Tue 17 Jun 08

The man these people attacked is my brother. His face is much worse than the picture looks. Someone knows who they are and where they live. I'm afraid our Country is going to get a lot worse unless something is done NOW. We need more police presence on the streets/parks and other trouble spots. I went to Bexleyheath the other day and could not believe the 100's of kids that were all milling around, spitting, drinking lagar and generally being abusive. I know some great teenagers who have had bad starts in life, but have respect for people and in turn are respected back. However, from previous jobs working with young people, I would say that the majority of problems are caused by lack of parenting skills and ignorance. These kids have no boundaries, do not fear reprisal from the Police as they know nothing will happen to them.

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ash, London says...
1:50pm Tue 17 Jun 08

Your Lord, i stand corrected they are comments.
Im saying do not give them a choice of joining the army force them, it could be a good deterrent or maybe bring back national service?

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MB, Bexleyheath says...
2:11pm Tue 17 Jun 08

Unfortunately, as much as time in the Army sounds great for our chavlings, I wouldn't wish them on our soldiers. Imagine being a soldier who has to fight alongside them. I think I'd turn the gun on my 'countryman' instead.

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Sophie, bexley says...
8:15pm Tue 17 Jun 08

gipo jack, thamesmead blockss ur rong i werent RA grove park is in bloody thamesmead it probs like a group of black bois ( not bein racist) coz dere al from da area dnt go blamin one gang if u dnt know it was dem coz it werent !

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Sophie, bexley says...
8:18pm Tue 17 Jun 08

Moi wrote:
The area in which the incident happened is know for the RA. Im oviously not 100% sure that is what them but a large group of boys in Martin\'s Grove ... come on now we all should have a strong idea!!!! The police around places were crime is high are pathetic. They are scared and never on time! There has been a number of situations that have happened infront of me or have been disuced with my friends and it always ends up with the police arresting the wrong people which are doing the right thing or them taking half hour to get there when everybody knows THATS TOO LATE!! Police need to patrol everywhere and not comunity police because young kids have heard that they cannot arrest you as they have to wait for an acutal police const!! DO SOMETHING BECAUASE IT MAKE ME SICK!

it werent RA! dey dnt go round dere it woz probs ivs

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KCF, Barnehurst says...
8:20pm Tue 17 Jun 08

The judicial system has given up on this case already; "there's not really a lot we can do about it" (The Police) is indeed the case. It seems that the vast, decent majority have to take direct, aggressive action.. it's the only route to justice and some feeling of recompense. These little loves will find it harder to beat someone when they're brain damaged from a dose of natural justice served through a decent bit of timber.

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Reader, Bexley says...
10:04pm Tue 17 Jun 08

I don't mean to knock this man who was harmed, but this goes to show sadly you cannot take actions into your own hands, even if I felt that the police were'nt going to turn up as soon as I called, I still would not have approched them, being their was a many as he said it was a foolish thing to do, I'am sure if it was reported that it looked like a drunken riot was about to start in a community area they would have responed within time allowed which i think is 7 mins for rapid responce. Also I don't feel you can blame all kids that enter that park now as scum, as was stated two girls helped the man in his time of need so that counts them out of a ruthless gang in the park. No they should not have been drinking and someone should never have sold them drink. But having said that and being their was so much empty drink laying around i would never of touched them with a barge pole. He is lucky to be alive

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B Reynolds, County of Kent says...
12:02am Wed 18 Jun 08

We can all rant on this website and make comments but looking at the replies these street freaks have added you can understand why they are so violent, have no social skills, are unable to integrate into society. Answer, they have parents that have no educational or social skills and their only raison etre in life is to try and create upset for neighbours and normal people. It is pathetic that these so called hard nuts herd around in groups and adopt an area as their own - just grow up and get a life! You are spoilt and self centre individuals that no nothing of hardship. These street freaks should be dumped in a war torn country with no food and and drink and let them fend for themeselves. A week in a Category B prison would sort this scum out!

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Mel, says...
2:47pm Wed 18 Jun 08

I knew it would only be a matter of time before something like this happened to someone I knew! I am absolutely disgusted at how these kids get away with what they do. You know who you are and I just hope you go home at night and realise just how disgusting you are. The day will come when someone you know and love is affected by 'your kind' and you will then realise the extent your behaviour has on people! If anyone knows anything at all-do the right thing and contact the police otherwise they will just carry on doing this. Steve I hope you feel better soon, from a friend of the family.

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Local, Bexleyheath says...
4:04pm Wed 18 Jun 08

The Police need to start right from the bottom up - investigating small acts of crime to clean the area up. No crime however small should be tolerated. On a bigger scale New York did this and the city has been turned around. The Police seem to have no motivation any more to catch these thugs as they know too well that the system stinks and they will be let off. The Government need to crack down now before we are all afraid to go outside our front doors. Some parents are definitely to blame. I know parents who say they dont see their kids all day and dont know where they are and dont care well you need to take control of your child - THEY ARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. Dont you wonder where they are all day, isnt it obvious they are up to no good. If you are reading this and are a mum or dad of a teenager make sure you really know where they have been all day and they are not out ruining someone's life and making you oh so proud!

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person, bexleyheath says...
3:23pm Thu 19 Jun 08

u missed out the bit about the man going back with a golf club...

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tom, martens grove says...
9:04pm Thu 19 Jun 08

the thing is i no wt appened the man that got attacked actually tried 2 hit a 15 year old with a golf club and thats y he got attacked he started the fight so they finished it the guys always round there teling everyone about one day we will get our come opence and how hed fight our dads just another blame on teenagers the most hated people in the country and older people want respect why dont they dish some out themselves

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tom agen, martens grove says...
9:08pm Thu 19 Jun 08

it was RA n ivs dey r just a waste of time take it noone heard about 3 ra boys getting stabbed this week in bexleyheath broadway and you no why the story isnt publsihed because they where white and indian/asian boys stabbed them and no doubt if it was in the paper sum indian/asian nobody would play the RACISM card. i say "rule britannia"

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MB, Bexleyheath says...
10:01am Fri 20 Jun 08

Jesus! Who said chavlings can't spell?! The above comments are barely legible.

British education at work again.

'Innit' or something.

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Joe, Thamesmead says...
1:00pm Fri 20 Jun 08

person wrote:
u missed out the bit about the man going back with a golf club...

Good...I hope he managed to get a few whacks in!

Its the only language these scum bags understand. enough of being nicey nicey!

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Michelle, Martens Grove says...
7:54pm Sat 21 Jun 08

tom wrote:
the thing is i no wt appened the man that got attacked actually tried 2 hit a 15 year old with a golf club and thats y he got attacked he started the fight so they finished it the guys always round there teling everyone about one day we will get our come opence and how hed fight our dads just another blame on teenagers the most hated people in the country and older people want respect why dont they dish some out themselves

Sorry Tom, but that is utter crap. We live in Martens Ave too and know Steve. He's a normal down to earth bloke who wants what we all want - a clean pleasant park we can walk through without fear and that is clean and free from other people's ****. We saw him straight after it happened and there was no golf club, but even if there had been I wouldn't have blamed him in light of the way things are these days. There is no way he would have gone near a 15 year old, no matter how much abuse he no doubt received. Don't try and justify those pathetic cowards' actions because no matter how you paint it they are dirty scum who need to learn manners and respect for other people.

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Sophie, bexley says...
3:50pm Mon 23 Jun 08

tom agen wrote:
it was RA n ivs dey r just a waste of time take it noone heard about 3 ra boys getting stabbed this week in bexleyheath broadway and you no why the story isnt publsihed because they where white and indian/asian boys stabbed them and no doubt if it was in the paper sum indian/asian nobody would play the RACISM card. i say "rule britannia"

yh da is so rite but only 2 bois from ra got stabbed n it werent ra who hurt dis bloke it woz a group of black bois n dere aint no1 black in da papers n da fing bout da stabbin is on dis site under is 1 it jus dnt say da bois name i noe everyfink da happened in da fite wanna noe jus ask xx

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person agen, bexleyheath says...
10:06pm Mon 23 Jun 08

it woz true the peeps got the golf club after... he did try n hit em first i dont care wot anyone says I SAW IT

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bigjules, Beds says...
1:30pm Mon 21 Jul 08

B Reynolds wrote:
We can all rant on this website and make comments but looking at the replies these street freaks have added you can understand why they are so violent, have no social skills, are unable to integrate into society. Answer, they have parents that have no educational or social skills and their only raison etre in life is to try and create upset for neighbours and normal people. It is pathetic that these so called hard nuts herd around in groups and adopt an area as their own - just grow up and get a life! You are spoilt and self centre individuals that no nothing of hardship. These street freaks should be dumped in a war torn country with no food and and drink and let them fend for themeselves. A week in a Category B prison would sort this scum out!

A week in prison - just like a holiday nowadays!!

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