Stop this sick craze

1:13pm Thursday 3rd February 2005

A violent new craze where gangs attack unsuspecting victims while filming assaults with mobile phones is sweeping Croydon.

Sickeningly, the footage is then sent by the gangs to their friends' mobiles and proudly displayed on the internet.

And the attacks are not just on other children.

Increasingly, police are receiving reports of elderly men and lone women being targeted.

While the culprits might think it is fun, police have warned offenders their actions could earn them a five-year prison sentence.

Inspector Gary Knapton, of the British Transport Police (BTP), said the craze, which can involve children as young as primary school age, has resulted in serious injuries for victims.

He said: "These people seem to think it's funny, but it's not. Some of these assaults have been very serious."

He added: "It often gets nasty if the victim retaliates and the whole gang joins in. Many people don't realise they are being filmed at the time."

The BTP are currently appealing for witnesses to an attack at Norwood Junction station last Wednesday.

At around 5.15pm a white man, aged around 35, was hit in the face by a young man, while another could be seen on CCTV using a video mobile phone.

Police are hoping to speak to two young men seen entering the train station at around 4.30pm in connection with the incident.

Both are in their late teens, the first was wearing white trousers, a blue jacket and blue baseball hat. The second wore white trousers and a matching white top and a blue hat.

Insp Knapton said many more cases may go unreported as the victims may be too scared to come forward. He said: "There have been numerous assaults on the tram system where the victim has not come forward for one reason or another.

"We believe this is mainly due to the victim being scared of repercussions or actually being embarrassed about being slapped' again."

Tramtrack Ltd, the company responsible for running Croydon's trams and bus operator Metrobus, said they had not received any specific reports of happy slap assaults although the bus firm was aware of the craze.

Liz Carnell, who works for advice website Bullying Online, called for a ban on mobile phone in schools.

She said: "As far as Bullying Online is concerned this is a dangerous and upsetting attack for those on the receiving end, which apart from being a criminal offence could also cause injury.

"Our advice to parents is that they should report these attacks, which we understand are happening mostly on public transport in the London area, to the police.

"What the people carrying them out may not realise is that if there are a series of attacks on the same person they may amount to harassment as well as assault.

"Camera phones are an increasing source of complaint to us and we'd suggest schools ban them from being used on the premises.

"One parent told us how a phone picture of his daughter was uploaded to the internet as part of an abusive website so they're not being used for entirely innocent purposes."

Anyone with information about the appeal should call the BTP on 0800 405 040 or Crimestoppers, in confidence, on 0800 555 111.