Paperboy attacked for his mp3 player

A paperboy was attacked by a youth whilst delivering papers on New York Street, Heywood.

The incident happened on Wednesday (30 December 2009) at 9am, when the offender grabbed the victim and tried to steal his mp3 player.

The offender put the paperboy in a headlock and demanded to be given his mp3 player and earphones, threatening to hit him if he didn’t.

The victim refused and knocked on a nearby shop for help. The shopkeeper opened the door and the offender ran off. 

The offender is described as white, around 16-17 years old, 5ft8ins tall, with a skinny build. He was wearing a grey top and jogging bottoms.

Detective Sergeant Sam Halligan said: “This is a completely random attack on an innocent boy.

“The victim was fortunate to have help nearby, otherwise this could have ended a lot worse.

“We now need the public’s help to find the offender. Somebody may have witnessed the attack, or maybe seen a boy matching the description in the area at the time.

“We are determined to take this offender off the streets to prevent him from causing distress to any more innocent people.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 0161 856 8632 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.