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Barry and Sue Clark’s house was attacked by a 20-strong mob
by Lynn Cox
More than a year of misery came to a head when Barry Clark and his wife Sue were subjected to a 20-minute attack by a crazed gang at their home.
The vicious assault had been sparked by Mr Clark asking someone to turn down the music at their flat in Strood on Monday night.
"It was like a riot - we could have been killed," said 68-year-old Mr Clark.
The gang of about 20 yobs threw bricks and paving slabs through their windows after he had asked a young neighbour to be quieter as a party raged in a neighbouring flat at Chaucer Court, Goddington Road.
Standing in the stairwell, Mr Clark was set upon, kicked and punched in the back and head and pushed to the ground by four men who were thought to be friends of their neighbour.
The terrified couple called police who went to the scene to investigate while the couple went to hospital, where Mr Clark was treated for cuts to his hand and bruising to his back. But the ordeal was not over.
The damage to Barry and Sue Clark’s house
When they returned later with two friends, a baying mob of about 20 youths started attacking them and their home.
A brick was thrown at their friend's head causing a gash, which later needed stitches, and they were forced to lock themselves into the flat while the reign of terror continued and the mob began trying to smash the front door.
Mr Clark said: "They just kept throwing objects at our windows and door. We had bricks, parts of paving slabs and other objects thrown through the windows, every window was smashed, It was like a riot."
The attack has left the couple without a home and they have been put up in a hotel by their landlord, AmicusHorizon housing association.
The couple say they have been having ongoing problems with their young neighbour for more than a year, and they claim he regularly has lots of other youths inside his home and is often playing loud music until the early hours.
They have complained to their landlord, the police and the council over 14 months, but say nothing was done about the anti-social behaviour.
Twenty thugs smashed Barry and Sue Clark's windows in a mob attack
Mr Clark added: "It was about 10pm when I went to ask for the music to be turned down, I was surrounded by a group of four young men and two girls.
"The men stared punching me and kicking me in the back and the head, we called the police and I went to the hospital.
"I had X-rays, but nothing was broken, but my back does hurt. When we got back home at about 3am we saw the group approaching and there was about 20 to 25 of them.
"They stared throwing bricks, sticks and even a paving slab at us and the windows. We all ran inside and locked the door."
Mrs Clark dialled 999 while the gang continued to lob missiles.
Mr Clark added: "It was terrifying and Sue was on the phone the whole time trying to get the police here, it felt like an eternity before the police arrived."
Despite the torrent of missiles Sue, Barry and their friends escaped major injury.
Mr Clark said: "I can only describe them as a bunch of animals, we could have been killed, my friend had a brick thrown at his head, it could have been fatal for him. I am going to see my MP Mark Reckless as soon as I can get an appointment to see what can be done to stop people like us being victimised in our homes.
"My wife and I will never return to the flat, we never want to go back there, it used to be a nice place to live before all this trouble started, but we are never going back now, not after this."
