Gang members as young as 10 plague our seaside town

TERRIFIED locals in a popular seaside town are being plagued by violent criminal gangs - some with members as young as 10 years old. Known for its traditional seaside fun, Weston-super-Mare in Somerset is a favourite tourist destination, visited by almost 1 million holidaymakers every year. But local shop workers and residents have told how their lives are blighted by increasing groups of young louts committing violent and criminal acts, leaving them frightened to leave their homes. Police have confirmed a rise in the number of groups of teenagers wreaking havoc in the town, where one man claims he was brutally attacked on the beach six weeks ago. Asking not to be identified, the man claims he was defending a young woman who was being targeted by around 15 children and young adults, some in local school uniform. The middle-aged local claims: “It was about and the woman was wasted, very drunk, and, they were having a go at her and threatening, so I stepped in. “I managed to get her away from them to some other members of the public, but I had to go back on to the beach to get my dog, which is when they all circled me, like a pack of animals baying for blood. “Then they beat me up pretty badly, and I could see one girl stood back, filming it on her phone. “I ended up on the sand, being kicked and stamped on in the face, they stood on my throat and head until I was unconscious. “I was in hospital for two days and still have the scars including a black eye, as well as the emotional trauma.” The man said the main part of the small town, including the High Street, is a hotbed of criminal behaviour with kids riding bikes and E-scooters, and typically loitering around on the colourful bandstand. He said: “You regularly see someone from a shop running down the street shouting ‘stop thief’, but there’s not a lot you can do, and people don’t want to intervene in case they get hurt. “They also shoot fireworks through shop doors and through letterboxes – we’re fed-up of it.” Read more: The Sun newspaper brings you the latest breaking news videos and explainers from the UK and around the world Become a Sun Subscriber and hit the bell to be the first to know Read The Sun: Like The Sun on Facebook: Follow The Sun on Twitter: Subscribe to The Sun on Snapchat: