Sign of the times?

[michele]

Saturday 15 March. It’s a gloriously sunny afternoon and Portobello High Street is busy with shoppers and people like myself, enjoying the opportunity to get out in the fresh air. A group of around ten teenagers stood nearby as I waited to cross the road with my young daughter at the top of Bath Street. They were laughing and joking. One of the youths asked another, whose knuckles were bleeding, “Who did you punch?â€Â

[nicky]

Hi

I was disgusted when I read your post re the young lad assaulted last Saturday. Thanks for posting the message - although it is very bad news it's important to keep informed.

I live off Bath Street and have two children aged 5 and 18months. Already, thanks to the behaviour of youths on Bath Street in broad daylight as well as in the evenings I avoid this street as much as possible. I always take a long way around to avoid the street because of the menacing behaviour of these youths over the four years I have living here. I have two friends who are have beautful flats on Bath St but hate living there because they have been harrassed and heckled.

I am a confident woman who has challenged the lads who harrass people in Bath St but I also avoid trouble and certainly do not want to put my young children at risk.

I was horrified to read of the reaction of the petshop keeper in the High Street. I have taught my 5 year old that if he is in danger on the street then one of the safest things he can do is go into a shop and ask for help.
I can't believe that she turned away a young lad in need and danger and that she then refused to call the police when asked to. Personally I think this itself is a crime. I have two animals and have always gone to this shop believing it best to support local businesses. I will now visit this shop and enquire politely as to wy the keeper refused to assist. If I am unsatified with the reply then I will say so and thereafter choose to shop elsewhere. i will also urge all my animal owning friends to do the same. I dread to think how my son would have coped if he had gone for help and been thrown out. It is appalling. Can you say more about what happened once the police were called.

I'm very much looking forward to Easter and Summer in Sunny Porty but always at the back of my mind I worry about what the local yobs are going to get up to once the days are longer and they are out of school.
Nicky

[michele]

Thanks for your supportive reply. The police didn't take my name so I don't know if they ever found the boy responsible but I phoned to complain to the Acorn HQ. I got a call back yesterday from the area manager. She was very apologetic and assured me that the person responsible had been reprimanded. I believe the parents of the boy who had been attacked also went to the shop the following day. I imagine they had something to say as well!

PS What happened to the Bath St residents association? Maybe you need to resurrect it?

[GG]

I am aware that this topic is regarding something that happened around a year ago but I have just read this awful story. My husband is a local joiner and commented on the amount of workmen around this area during the day, along with all the other people on the High Street at this time. We are shocked at the fact that no-one else went to the assistance of this wee boy. Michele, I can only comment on your bravery and thankful singlemindedness that helped this incident to stop and the boy from being hurt any further than he already was.

We were also horrified to hear about the response from the shop assistant and her male colleague. How utterly selfish and I have to agree with Nicky that I view this as an offense in itself. I was curious as to how the company would define 'repremanded' if this was the only action taken. We have 2 cats ourself and will not be buying from that shop again. We do support local businesses before going elsewhere but in this instance I would struggle to support a buisness that does not care about or support the local community back.

I can only hope that the boy who was assaulted is alright and has not experienced any lasting effects of this incident. I also hope that as a community we aim not to tolerate such behaviour and react in ways that protect or support the safety of others.