An Oldham mum says her family ‘live in fear’ and are ‘scared to go to sleep’ after being terrorised by a gang of teens who have smashed up her car and attacked her house with eggs and rubbish.
The attacks started after the mum, who wishes to remain anonymous, confronted a group of youths who damaged her car with a golf club on 3 May.
Since that incident, she has been targeted a number of times, with eggs and stones being thrown at her house and threats being made to her and her family.
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She has been left feeling helpless after “useless” police failed to take action – despite her calling them 12 times, and even visiting a police station.
“It’s like a tower where you can’t get in,” she told the Manchester Evening News .
“You pay taxes, you pay everything, and you can’t get any help. Nothing. It’s useless. We live in fear. We’re terrified.”
(Image: STEVE ALLEN)
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) say they are in contact with the victim and that delivering outstanding service to the community is of the “utmost importance”.
The mum lives in her Higginshaw house with her husband and daughter, and is scared for her family’s safety.
She says she first called the police on 3 May – straight after the initial confrontation took place – but was simply told to take her car to her friend’s.
“A group of teenagers passed our house with a golf club, and they threw it at my car and damaged it,” she said. “So I picked up the golf club and said I won’t give it back because you’ve damaged my car. Then they said they were going to smash my car completely, and they started to threaten me,” she said.
“The very same day I called the police. One officer came by, and told me to take my car to my friend’s if I was worried about it. To me, that isn’t the solution.”
She told the M.E.N that on the same night, just 15 minutes after the police officer left, the group returned to her home and started to throw stones – which not only hit the house, but very nearly hit her.
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
“The first time they started throwing stones, I was standing next to my car,” she said.
“The stone went right next to my head. I heard a noise.”
The group returned the next night, and then again on multiple occasions over the following days and weeks. Each time, the terrified homeowner called the police, but says she was never offered any help.
One night, after they had suffered the usual onslaught of eggs and stones being thrown, the family were visited by officers who took the neighbour’s CCTV. She was promised a call from the police the next day – but nothing came.
Dejected and scared, she decided to go to the police station in person with her husband, where she says she was told if she made a complaint it might speed up the process. She went back to the station the next day – only to be told she could only complain online.
While at the station, she was also told that officers had spoken to the parents of the teens involved. But the family were not convinced enough had been done – and after a brief period of quiet, the incidents started up again last week.
(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
“We just want peace and quiet,” she told the M.E.N. “We don’t want any trouble. But we are terrified. When we go outside, we could be hit by stones.
“We bought this house. We just paid off the mortgage. And now we can’t live here.”
She said she has been left feeling hopeless, and not knowing what to do or where to turn.
“I’m afraid,” she said. “Even if they do catch them, they will probably let them out again. What will be next?
“I really don’t know what we should do. I don’t even have anybody to ask for advice. What do you do?”
Superintendent Phil Hutchinson, of GMP’s Oldham district, said: “Delivering outstanding service to our communities is of the utmost importance to us and we recognise that members of the public, rightly, expect us to resolve criminal issues in a timely and effective manner to ensure that they are and feel safe in their homes and neighbourhoods.
“Since this issue was first reported to us, we have been working with the victim to secure the best possible outcome, which initially involved restorative justice. As the issue has persisted, we met with the victim earlier this week to discuss the most appropriate course of action.”
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