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Gang of 40 girls attacks two schoolchildren on bendy bus
Justin Davenport, Crime Correspondent10.06.08
A mob of nearly 40 girls surrounded two schoolchildren on a bendy bus in south London and tried to drag them into the street, it emerged today.
The girl gang allegedly attacked a bus worker on the vehicle who intervened to protect the two victims, aged 13 and 14.
The woman staff member was beaten and severely bruised and was treated in hospital.
Eight children, seven of them aged 14, were reported to be at the centre of the trouble and are all believed to be from the same school.
The 40 children in the mob - which included two boys - are believed to have marched to Old Kent Road from their school.
They are suspected of carrying out another attack on a pupil in a nearby street before they ambushed the 453 bus which runs from Deptford to Marylebone.
The gang boarded the vehicle and attacked two pupils, attempting to drag them off the bus. The bus worker who intervened was said to be so traumatised by the attack in February that she could not work for a month.
Officers from the Met's Transport policing unit examined CCTV footage during an inquiry into the incident.
The assault comes amid fears of rising anti-social behaviour on London's buses.
Mayor Boris Johnson has made tackling the problem a priority and has funded an extra 490 Police Community Support Officers and police officers to patrol buses and stations.
Eight children, seven aged 14, are to appear at Camberwell Green Youth Court next week charged with affray.
Reader views (4)
Having just experienced being assaulted on the bus home tonight by a group of unruly teenage girls, I think that more must be done to protect passengers. Under 18's have the privilege of free travel on the buses, so I think this should be taken away from those who would abuse the public. In my case, I tried to reason with them but to no avail. Fortunately, the bus driver made them get off the bus when I alerted him to the trouble but not before being subjected to more screaming and verbal abuse.
- Caroline, London
.........and if anybody intervenes to protect someone, these scummy thugs will claim that THEY have been assaulted and turn up to court in their school uniforms....all this after the protector is charged by the police because they are an easy arrest.
- Sarsfields Ghost, London
I think the MPs should be forced to travel on buses every day until something gets done about this.
- Charlie, London
"The assault comes amid fears of rising anti-social behaviour on London's buses."
Well that's the understatement of the year. "amid fears of?"
- Martin H. Watson, T
