DAD'S WILLOW PARK ORDEAL (From Warrington Guardian)

DAD'S WILLOW PARK ORDEAL

A NEWTON dad says he wants to get on with his life after a clash with a gang of abusive teenagers at Willow Park landed him in court.

During the clash, Michael Smith, aged 36, from the Wargrave area, was forced to defend himself, his wife and his five-year-old daughter.

As a result he wound up in court, but was eventually cleared of unlawful wounding, on February 13, at Liverpool Crown Court.

His ordeal began on Sunday, August 24, when he visited Willow Park with his wife and daughter.

He took his daughter to the children's play area but was confronted by the gang of teenagers.

Mr Smith said: "They started using abusive language and when I asked them not to, they told me where to go."

He again asked them to curb their language and then approached them to try to get them to stop.

It was at this point that one of the abusive teenagers attacked him and Mr Smith was

forced to defend himself.

The teenager was injured in the incident and went to the police, accusing Mr Smith of unlawfully wounding him. Mr Smith was arrested at his home in front of his wife and child and was subjected to a three-day trial this month.

He said: "It was extremely traumatic for me and my daughter, who was there when the police arrested me. For a while afterwards she was having nightmares about the police taking me away again. It's ruled my life for six months and made our lives a misery."

Mr Smith, a transport manager in charge 36 staff, said he now just wants to get on with his life.

"I was born in Newton. Both my wife and I worked in the action group to tidy up the lake area of Willow Park eight years ago and it makes me sick the way it's going. These days it's just not a place you can go," he said.

Mr Smith added: "I have never been to the park since. Newton High Street is a thoroughly unpleasant place to be."

A Newton resident, who did not want to be named, said: "He's not the only person who has had trouble at the park. We won't go to either park any more."

As reported in the Newton and Golborne Guardian Clr Suzanne Knight, ward member for Newton East, has set up a steering group to deal with youth disorder.

She said: "This is why this has to be tackled. He has been put through the eye of a needle. It's not fair when all he wanted to do was go for a walk in the park.

"Since we had our last meeting things have quietened down considerably. The police have been to both high schools and given talks to every year on anti-social behaviour and bullying."