Police are investigating after a gang of children launched a shocking homophobic attack on two victims at a nature reserve in York.
The incident occurred at around 4pm on Saturday (August 15) in St Nicholas Fields, a 24-acre nature reserve in the heart of York.
The group included two girls as young as ten, along with two boys thought to be aged 13 or 14. All were on bikes at the time of the attack.
It is alleged that one of the girls made a homophobic comment to the two victims. One of the boys went on to make a further homophobic comment before throwing a full plastic bottle at them.
One of the girls in the group was described as wearing a pink hooded top, while one of the boys was wearing a black Nike hooded top.
North Yorkshire Police are looking to speak to the young people involved in the homophobic attack, and are asking for the public’s help to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident. It is not yet clear whether they are treating it as a hate crime.
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Andrew Muir. You can also email [email protected] Anyone with information should quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12200143329.
Elsewhere in the UK, a trans person was similarly attacked by a group of eight youths on bikes who were said to be aged between 13 and 14.
The gang shouted transphobic abuse before throwing a bottle and stones at the individual, one of which struck them on the head.
A witness claimed the teens recorded the attack, as well as a separate one against the same individual that took place in January. West Midlands police are interested in speaking to anyone who has seen or been forwarded these two videos.