Police are hunting a gang of masked muggers that they believe are responsible for a spate of brutal attacks on students, reports Rory Anderson of the Leeds Student paper.
The yobs are believed to have been responsible for up to 16 violent targeted attacks on students this week alone. A gang of between 15 and 20 teenagers is thought to be behind the assaults around the University that left an 18-year-old girl needing treatment for severe facial injuries and others requiring care for missing teeth.
The group, who conceal their faces with ski masks or balaclavas, hide behind hedges before they pounce and are believed to be specifically targeting students. The muggers have even used screwdrivers to assault their victims. Most of the attacks have involved robbery though some students say they feel they were attacked simply because the gang found it funny. There are now fears of further violence and students are being urged not to walk alone at night.
Earlier this week, another student came forward after an attack near Leodis residences left him and two friends with injuries. Since the two incidents many more attacks have taken place.
The latest assault happened as a group of three friends walked up a set of stairs by halls of residence Montague Burton. The students, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of further attacks, explained how a group of five hooded men, all wearing ski-masks, began to walk down the stairs in their direction. As the students began to panic and turn around, more hooded youths appeared slowly from amongst the trees and bushes before completely surrounding them.
One female student in the group got off lightly, only having her handbag taken, but both males were taken aside and beaten before being kicked on the floor. The student slashers then reached inside the victims’ pockets, taking their mobile phones and wallets before leaving them unconscious. The woman was able to call for help and an ambulance eventually arrived. Both students are now recovering but one has been left with a broken rib and both suffered severe bruising.
Another victim, an 18-year-old woman was left with facial injuries, after being attacked outside a house party in Woodhouse. The victims in three other separate attacks have lost teeth after being set upon by the gang.
A 21-year-old student was slashed across the torso with a screwdriver before being robbed of cash in Crowther Place.
Last week Leeds Student reported that one student had been left with a list of injuries, including a broken nose, after being set upon by twenty youths as he walked home from University at 6pm through Woodhouse Moor on 26 October. The man described how the group emerged from nearby bushes, before following him as he walked in the opposite direction. A member of the group then tripped him up and set about beating him on the ground.
The student broke down as he described to Leeds Student how the group laughed at him as he then tried to run away. He said: “These kinds of attacks seem to be happening more and more in Leeds, what next?”
A motion to Leeds City Council has been created after our reporting of the attack on Woodhouse Moor last week.
Local MP Greg Mulholland told Leeds Student of his reaction to the latest gang crime: “This is clearly extremely concerning and worrying for the residents of Woodhouse, Headingley and Hyde Park, especially for those who have been subject to the terrible actions of those involved.”
He added: “I will of course be writing to the local police, asking that everything possible is done to ensure those responsible for this spate of attacks and robberies are made accountable for their actions. The residents of Woodhouse, Headingley and Hyde Park should not have to live in fear of attacks and robberies in the area around their homes.”
Police say they have dramatically increased the number of plain-clothes and uniformed officers around the University and are now trawling through CCTV footage in an attempt to find the gang responsible. Students are being advised not to walk alone at night unless strictly necessary and should not use their mobile phone while walking at night.
The news comes as Leeds Student launches its campaign for street safety surrounding the University. This newspaper is calling for more police on the streets particularly at night as students make their way home. Leeds Student will be meeting with the local councilor, MP and police chief in a bid to bring back security measures on Woodhouse Moor which have been stopped due to cuts in local funding.
On October 12, second-year English student Jagdip Randhawa was injured in an attack while enjoying a night out in Leeds City Centre. The 19-year-old died in hospital five days later. This paper also reported on a serious assault on campus outside the E.C. Stoner building on October 1.
At least 123 burglaries were reported in Hyde Park last month, while 18 robberies took place and a further 43 incidents of violent crime. It is thought that the figures for this month have already exceeded those for September after this series of assaults.
A University of Leeds statement said: “The University is very concerned about the assaults in the Woodhouse and adjacent areas which took place over the Bonfire Night weekend. Colleagues from our security and welfare staff are working with local partners, including the Leeds’ Universities and Colleges Crime Reduction Partnership (UCCRP), to see what actions can be taken to increase the safety of students and staff living and working in these areas area.”
It continued: “The police have increased uniformed and plain-clothes patrols in the areas affected, and we would urge students to be extremely vigilant, especially when walking at night.”
When Leeds Student went to print, there still had been no arrests made in relation to the masked gang. Read next week’s edition for a full investigation into attacks on students.
To read about the petition created after our article last week click here.