A MAN is appealing for witnesses after he was attacked by a gang of hooded youths outside of Hyde Post Office.
Scott Newton, 49, from Dukinfield, was on his way home after collecting Christmas presents from Hyde Post Office on Hamnett Street at approximately 19:15 on Wednesday 29th November.
Mr Newton states “I noticed a woman up the street filming on her phone with the flash on but I didn’t pay much attention to it at the time.
“I’d really like to find her as her footage could help with the investigation. ”
When leaving the post office, Mr Newton noticed a large group of youths wearing black hoods, scarves and balaclava’s circling around his motorbike. “I felt that I may be in danger so I rode off immediately.”
After driving towards John Street, Mr Newton saw several of what appeared to be the same hooded youths on the corner of John Street and Beech Street. Around 15 to 20 hooded figures then walked out into the road, deliberately blocking Scott from driving away.
“As I drive a motorbike I had no time to turn around and I would have been driving up a one-way street if I had so I decided to increase my speed in hope that they would move.”
Mr Newton believes the group were trying to intimidate him into getting off his bike so that they could steal whatever valuables he had to hand or even attempt to ride off on his motorbike. Driving towards the group still didn’t seem to work, as even though most of the youths moved off the road Mr Newton was then hit as he drove past.
“At least one of them hit me with something on my back and helmet.
“I felt the impact and I lost control of the bike and crashed.”
The gang of assailants started to disperse once Mr Newton had crashed his bike, with most of them running up towards Market Place. “I put my helmet visor down as I was expecting them to start stamping and kicking me.
“I think the only reason I wasn’t badly beaten was because I went down so hard and I didn’t move so I think they got scared that they went too far.”
This is just one of the latest attacks in the Tameside area as there have been reports of similar hooded youths harassing and attacking people in Hyde, Ashton and Gee Cross.
One girl was attacked at traffic lights in the Ashton area while on her bike, claiming that the group tried to push her off her bike.
Another report claimed that a group of teenagers were harassing people outside their homes, specifically elderly women.
Greater Manchester Police have been contacted for a statement.
If you have any information regarding the attack on Hamnett Street or if you might know anything about the group of youths please contact Ashton Police Department or ring 101 and quote the crime number 320544b/17
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