Northern Ireland school pupils attacked at Trafford Centre

[celeste]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-34645385

A group of teenage schoolchildren from Northern Ireland have been attacked and injured by a gang of hooded youths during a school trip to Manchester.

Fourteen pupils from Portadown College, County Armagh, aged between 14 and 17, were assaulted on Sunday.

Five were treated in hospital but the school's principal said none of them was seriously injured.

Greater Manchester Police described the incident as a 'brutal' attack.

Insp Fahar Zaman said: "This was an unprovoked attack on some young people who were visiting our city.




"It is very disappointing that the memories they are left with will be of this brutal attack.

"We are working with the Trafford Centre to gather evidence and we are following some positive lines of enquiry to find those responsible."

He said said police were treating the matter "very seriously" and were appealing for witnesses to get in touch.

The students had travelled to the city as part of the school's annual trip to attend football matches in Manchester.

'Traumatic'

Craig, one of the pupils who witnessed the assaults, told the BBC that "at least 40" local youths attacked his school group as they left a shopping centre.

[celeste]

A forty strong gang at the Trafford Centre looking for trouble, lets hope they are recognized on cctv - if they are football fans then I hope they are banned from whichever grounds and teams they support.


They shame our city

[Corrupt council]

I bet they have seen far worse on orange day.

The shankill road

Or just Ireland in general

[celeste]

No excuse for letting down our city

[Corrupt council]

As I have said many times we are under policed.

Thuggery is now an occupation in some areas.

Less opertunity for work

The I'm alright jack culture

The endless stream of media reports that are just negative

Manchester is now a truly broken place in some areas

[celeste]

Well you are more aware with what is going on in Manchester, I don't go into town often.

I do think that whichever football club the school pupils support, the club could send them an invitation and be shown around, likewise Manchester Town Hall (don't hold your breath) 

[cheethamgirl]

That's a dreadful thing to have happened.

Corrupt Council, I have walked the length and breadth of the Shankill and the Falls many times over the last couple of decades and have never seen this, or indeed any level of violence there, so I doubt these teenagers have either. 

[Jim44]

A gang of forty hooded youths and security didn't spot them. Unbelievable!

[Corrupt council]

That's a dreadful thing to have happened.

Corrupt Council, I have walked the length and breadth of the Shankill and the Falls many times over the last couple of decades and have never seen this, or indeed any level of violence there, so I doubt these teenagers have either. 

Maybe my view of NI has been distorted by the 40 years of anti Irish news. I stand corrected

And I take your word on the matter

[gavin]

 

[cheethamgirl]

Maybe my view of NI has been distorted by the 40 years of anti Irish news. I stand corrected

And I take your word on the matter

Thank you, CC. The 30 years of the 'troubles' were indeed brutal and senseless but I have always found the Belfast people (with a very few yobbish and bigoted exceptions) to be enormously kind, open and friendly. I have tramped the streets looking for houses and churches connected with my ancestors and folks stopped to help, invited me into their homes for a cuppa and even drove me to the local cemetery and helped me find family graves. But I think it will take a long time for the British public's perception of the 'Corner Kingdom' to improve and for tourism to pick up again. Belfast is a lovely city and the county of Antrim is stunning. I wonder what the visiting young folks' perception of Manchester will be?   

[Corrupt council]

[celeste]

Thank you, CC. The 30 years of the 'troubles' were indeed brutal and senseless but I have always found the Belfast people (with a very few yobbish and bigoted exceptions) to be enormously kind, open and friendly. I have tramped the streets looking for houses and churches connected with my ancestors and folks stopped to help, invited me into their homes for a cuppa and even drove me to the local cemetery and helped me find family graves. But I think it will take a long time for the British public's perception of the 'Corner Kingdom' to improve and for tourism to pick up again. Belfast is a lovely city and the county of Antrim is stunning. I wonder what the visiting young folks' perception of Manchester will be?

Good post, did you ever go to Carrickfergus Castle?

[cheethamgirl]

Yes, Celeste, many times. My father spent his boyhood playing in that castle. He loved it. He would sometimes receive calendars from his sister in Carrick and these would have images of the castle. He treasured them. Almost opposite the castle is the house of Louis MacNiece, the poet, but sadly, rather than turning it into a tourist attraction, it has been allowed to fall into ruin. Carrickfergus is looking rather sad for itself these days, I fear.

[celeste]

I always thought it would be a lovely place to be married in, I did hear that this was possible

It would be worth a 'makeover' if only for tourism - and maybe another book!