Stargazer attacked

Former RAF Squadron Leader Laurie West went out in his electric buggie-scooter at about 7.30 on Friday evening to view the current conjunction of the planets and found himself in the middle of a nightmare experience.

His enclosed buggie was surrounded by the youths near the entrance of the recreation ground near Goring Street and Laurie cowered inside as they pummelled the protective perspex and canvas covering and shouted abuse.

"I had settled down to wait for the sunset so that I could see the planets when I saw these youths come across the cricket field from a clubroom on the far side of the rec," said Laurie.

"I didn't take any notice of them at first, then they surrounded me and started tapping and banging the top of my scooter and one of them threw a sandwich which smeared the back of the canopy.

"By that time I was getting very, very frightened. I tried to open the front of the canopy to get out, but one of them put his arm across it to stop me.

"I was scared that they were going to tip the scooter over with me inside it. I didn't know what they were going to do.

"Some of them had bottles in their hands and were drinking and it wasn't lemonade in those bottles!"

Laurie said he thought it best not to show any aggression towards them.

"I just sat there until they went away, while they continued to shout derisory remarks at me. I was terrified, you hear so much about people being mugged."

Laurie said he then hurried home as soon as possible, abandoning his sky-gazing plans.

"I'm still a bit scared," he told the Herald on Tuesday, adding that he didn't want his address published because he might be traced by the youths.

"It's when these youngsters get in a gang that they can turn nasty," he said.