11:05am Saturday 19th July 2008
By Charley Morgan
A 14-YEAR-OLD boy was left with a black eye after being attacked while doing his paper round in Trowbridge.
The boy, who does not want to be named for fear of reprisals, had just finished delivering copies of The Star and was walking home along Westfield Road, in Studley Green, at about 5pm on Thursday July 10 when the unprovoked assault took place.
A teenage boy ran up to him from behind and punched him around the face causing his glasses to break.
The force of the blow knocked him to the floor and he was left with a black eye and needing hospital treatment for the head injury.
He said: "It was only my first week doing the paper round. I just wanted to earn a bit of extra money.
"It's not a nice thing to happen when you're by yourself. I haven't been back out on the paper round since.
"Next time I go out, my sister or my dad are going to come with me - I don't mind if I'm with someone else but I'm a bit wary if I'm by myself."
He said he had passed a group of teenagers outside the Jones Day & Night shop in Westfield Road just before the ordeal took place.
He had not taken any notice and carried on past them but after he walked about 50 yards down the road his attacker pounced on him from behind.
The boy and his family have only recently moved to Wiltshire from Hertfordshire.
His mother said: "We moved here 18 months ago because of his dad's work and it's been great, the neighbours are lovely.
"But obviously we would like to know who has done this because when someone runs up behind you and does something like this it's not nice.
"Was he in the wrong place at the wrong time or are they deliberately picking on paper boys and girls?"
The family say they have not ruled out the possibility that their son was the victim of a 'happy slapping' attack, where teenagers video attacks on their mobile phones and post them on the internet.
Police are investigating the incident and are appealing for any witnesses to come forward.
The attacker is described as a white male teenager, about 5ft 5ins tall and wearing dark tracksuit bottoms.
Anyone with information should contact PC Louise Randall at Trowbridge police station on 0845 408 7000 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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