The mum of a 13-year-old boy has told how her young son was 'petrified' after being robbed at knifepoint by a large gang of youths.
When the schoolboy was on his way home last Saturday afternoon, he was cornered by a group of twelve youths, who demanded that he give them his bike and held a knife to his throat.
The incident was reported to police who put an appeal out on social media for information about the incident, while the boy's mum posted a warning to other parents on social media pages.
It's just one of several police reports that have been made over the ongoing problem of violent youth crimes in Rutherglen, with many people demanding more be done to stop them.
The boy’s mum told Lanarkshire Live: “My son was riding down the lane between Greystone and Buchanan Drive, which isn’t a dark lane and it’s the way he usually comes home, but when he turned around, they were there. There was a group of 11 boys and one girl.
“They held a knife to his throat, and he was petrified. He didn’t try to resist, he just gave the bike to them. They pulled the brakes apart right in front of him.
“He couldn’t really get away either, because they were all still standing, but eventually he did and when we got home, he was in a terrible state of shock. We keep telling him the bike is replaceable but he is not.
“It’s the same crowd of youths that are doing it. There can be up to 20 of them. They're all around 14 or 15 years old and they're drinking.
“The bike was handed back into the community centre when someone found it. It was badly damaged but the police are hopeful they might be able to get some DNA on it to identify more of them.
“There are no consequences for young people. The police have a limited amount of power on what they can do. They get a slap on the wrist."
Police have confirmed that enquiries into the case are currently still ongoing.
Another concerned resident told Lanarkshire Live: “I wanted to raise the profile of the ongoing problem as it appeared that nothing was being done by the police.
“I would say that a minority of youths appear to be aiming to intimidate, scare, and harm other youngsters.
“This large group of cowards are using weapons to attack and intimidate individuals who are unarmed.
“There have been at least five incidents since January. It has been three weekends in a row.
“I’ve heard of an unprovoked attack at Tesco Burnside and school time fights on Dukes Road. A gang is said to have attacked two boys with a knife and hammer.
“I think it might be the same group. It is hard to tell though, because they all dress the same in dark colours and generally keep their hoods up. Several incidents have included one youth with bright red jogging trousers.
“If they harmed my child, I would want retribution. My gut reaction is to lock them up and throw away the key.”
Police say a series of arrests have been made over the last few months in relation to the problem.
A 15-year-old was arrested and charged in relation to a serious assault at Stonelaw Woods last month and a 13-year-old boy was arrested and charged following a serious assault on Stonelaw Road earlier this month. Three other youths were charged in relation to an assault in the Burnside area on the same day.
MSP Clare Haughey told us: “I have been contacted by constituents regarding the worrying anti-social behaviour and violence in Burnside, and I fully appreciate why residents are concerned.
“Unfortunately, over the past few months, there have been instances of repeated youth disorder across different parts of Rutherglen. I know from meetings and contact with the police that this has been a priority for them and that they’ve been actively involved along with other partners.
“As a result of these latest instances of violence and disorder in Burnside, I’ve been in touch with the police again who have assured me that there will be an increased policing presence with officers on foot patrol in the Stonelaw Woods and Burnside areas.
Inspector Kevin Miller, from Rutherglen Police Station, added: “Police in the Rutherglen and Burnside areas have received a small number of reports of youth-related violence and disorder over the past few months and have carried out extensive enquiries into each of these incidents.
“Local police have increased patrols in the area and deployed additional officers to provide further community reassurance. As always, we would encourage anyone with any concerns to contact police on 101, or 999 in an emergency.”
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