PARENTS MUST CARRY SOME OF THE BLAME

10:05am Wednesday 11th June 2008

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POLICE and community leaders have called for parents to give their children boundaries after a man was attacked on Saturday night.

It is claimed a youth threw a bottle at the 47-year-old victim before he was assaulted further.

He suffered grazing and bruising to the left side of his face and his eyelid during the incident at 9.45pm in Bramhall Close on the Grange Estate.

Det Sgt Paul Mason, from Winsford Neighbourhood Policing Unit, said: “Children don’t have any boundaries and they are unruly, as this attack demonstrates.” Mike Kennedy, chairman of Grange Residents’ Association, believes it is parents’ responsibility to control their child’s behaviour.

He said: “We fear that this, along with the rise in alcohol consumption evident in open spaces in the recent warmer weather, may lead to a summer of anti-social behaviour.

“I firmly believe that parents should take more responsibility for the increase in youth drinking – some of this drink must be obtained from the home or by parents, we all know it goes on.” Mr Kennedy added: “How can the plague of underage drinking be addressed when a lot of parents encourage it?

“How many of us are fed up with the smashed bottles on the grass verges, footpaths and empty cans and bottles littering the parks?

“I think that it’s time for yet another serious police crackdown – or is it already happening and we don’t have sufficient police to deal with the problem?” He added: “It’s quite worrying that underage drinking is prevalent in the town.

“I think that discount sales of alcohol are to blame because it is too cheap and too enticing to buy alcohol from supermarkets with all the offers that they have.” l A 17-year-old has been arrested in connection with the alleged attack and has been bailed by police pending further investigations.