An A-level student suffered a fractured skull in a mugging in a west London park, prompting calls from residents for beefed up security patrols in the area.
The 17-year-old had gone to Bishops Park in Fulham to meet friends and play football after school but was ambushed by a group of youths in hoods and masks.
He was taken to hospital where he was treated for head injuries and severe concussion and was was kept in overnight.
The attack happened at about 5pm on Friday as families with smaller children left the park.
A source close to the victim’s family said: “You hear about children being targeted for their phones but what shocked us was the severity of the attack and the damage it has caused.
“Phone crime must be rife because as two friends left the hospital after visiting him they were approached by youths on bikes demanding that they hand over their mobiles.”
Local social media groups and the Nextdoor chat community website have recently been dominated by discussion about getting police patrols in the area and the need for more CCTV.
One local resident said: “What we knew as a family-friendly area has become a lot more edgy recently. You never used to get gangs of youngsters smoking weed but now it’s quite common and you do not see many police about.”
A police statement said: “Police were called at around 7pm after a 17-year-old male had attended hospital with a head injury. He reported he had been attacked and robbed by a group of males in Bishops Park at around 5pm that day.
Any investigation is ongoing to identify those responsible.”
There were 24,958 robbery offences reported in London in 2022/2023 and Mayor Sadiq Khan is under pressure over violent clashes in which youths are being injured or killed. Last year 21 teenagers were killed included Harry Pitman who was fatally stabbed on Primrose Hill in north London on New Year’s Eve.
A spokesman for Hammersmith and Fulham Council said a park security patrol was despatched over the weekend to reassure residents around Bishops Park
He said: “We are very concerned that this has has happened. Supporting the police to keep people safe is our number one priority. That's why we have the most extensive CCTV network in Britain, set up a gangs unit and introduced our own Law Enforcement Team. Bishops Park has two new CCTV cameras and the police have agreed to increase patrols in the park. This should not happen and we will do our damnedest to make sure these criminals are stopped."
We do have CCTV and extra lighting has recently been put in the park. We take security very seriously and work closely with the Met and patrol regularly.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or X@MetCC quoting CAD 5860/12Jan. To remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers on 0800555111.
