CROYDON: Dad attacked while buying ice-cream for daughters

2:06pm Monday 12th May 2008

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A 37-year-old dad was viciously attacked by a gang of youths in Thornton Heath after buying ice-cream for his daughters.

The victim, described as a black man, was treated for a broken jaw after the attack which took place at 6pm yesterday on Winterbourne Road near Melfort Park.

He had gone into a newsagent to buy ice-cream for his two young daughters who were in his car, when a gang of teenage girls and boys tried to waterbomb the store. The man helped the shop keeper in closing the door to keep the gang out of the store.

A police spokesman said: "He was walking back to his daughters in the car when he heard a female voice say: 'That is the man who kept us out the shop.' He was then attacked by between 15 and 20 people.

"This was a vicious, unprovoked, unpleasant and horrible assault."

The attack happened near where a 17-year-old boy was stabbed during a six-a-side football game last week. The police say that the two crimes are not linked.

Anyone with information should call DS Heather Scott on 0208 649 0093 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.