Gang of five who threw chunks of ice at duo from top of Tunbridge Wells car park forced to apologise

Youths caught throwing chunks of ice at a man and his daughter have been made to apologise to the victims.

The man, from Tenterden, called Kent Police at 4:25pm on Saturday 26 January to report a group of teenagers hurling large pieces of ice from the top of the multi-storey car park in Crescent Road, Tunbridge Wells. 

One of the ice-balls struck his adult daughter on the leg.

A short while later officers caught up with five youths in the car park. 

Each was taken over to Tunbridge Wells Police Station where they apologised to the man and his daughter for their actions.

Insp Simon Wilshaw from the Tunbridge Wells Neighbourhood Policing Team said: "If the ice hadn't hit the woman on the leg it could have hit a toddler.

"So we ensured the youths, some of who were known to police and some who were of previous good character, realised that what they may have thought was a bit of fun, could have had very serious consequences had the ice hit the child."

Police also spoke to each of the youths' parents at their home addresses.

"Restorative justice is not the answer in all cases but it was right course of action here and the victim was very happy with the swift outcome. 

"Sometimes, ensuring a young person's parents know what they have been up to is all it takes to ensure this sort of behaviour doesn't happen again," Insp Wilshaw added.