A charity volunteer has condemned the state of a town centre after he was attacked by two youths while out shopping.
Anthony Boxell, 51, says Ashford is now home to just “coffee shops, nail bars, and a bunch of thugs” after he was set upon in Park Mall shopping centre.
The Kennington resident says the incident was sparked when he intervened in a dispute involving the two youngsters and another pair of youths in North Street.
The YMCA charity shop worker was then followed to the nearby mall, where he took refuge in the Warhammer gaming store before being attacked inside the Made in Ashford shop.
Police have arrested a 15-year-old boy on suspicion of assault following the incident, which happened just after 3pm on Sunday, June 23.
“Some youths who know me said two others were following them, so I told them to leave them alone,” Mr Boxell said.
“I walked away and went into Warhammer, but they followed me in there. The staff were quite helpful and kept them talking but they then saw me go into Made in Ashford.
“They came into the shop, broke my walking stick, and one of them then started thumping the top of my head.”
Mr Boxell, who suffered a cut to his face, believes Ashford is caught in a downward spiral and is calling on authorities to do more to support young people in the town.
“All it is is coffee shops, nail bars, and a bunch of thugs, and they all hang around McDonald’s, the fountain, or the bandstand, and no one wants to go anywhere near them,” he said.
“When they hang around on the streets, that’s when they meet undesirables, and they get dragged into it.
“But they’ve got nothing else to do; there’s no youth clubs, nowhere for them to go, so all they can do is hang around on the streets.
“Kids need somewhere to go and they should get them involved in designing a youth club because if they have a part in it, they might actually want to go to something they’ve done.
“It wouldn’t eliminate the problem, but it certainly would assist in moving it forward. Right now, these youths have nothing to do except ride scooters and pull wheelies down the high street.”
Kent County Council previously announced £900,000 worth of cuts to youth services across the county as the cash-strapped council attempted to balance its books.
This week, a spokesman stated youth services are in transition, and the authority is looking at how to help those most impacted.
They said: “In the face of well-documented challenges driven by the need for KCC to make savings totalling £58 million this financial year, the decision not to recommission external youth clubs and activities when their contracts expired in March 2024 was taken in November 2023.
“KCC’s youth services are continuing, and we are currently transitioning to Family Hubs, which will help us better target services to young people where they are needed most – through a mix of on-site, online and community settings.
“The council is now undertaking a needs assessment of children in each district, which will go on to inform how each Family Hub’s services will be targeted in the future and increase the advice available for parents and carers to support their children through the Family Hub.
“Family Hub staff will continue to provide a range of information to families, including other local services.”
Police have now launched an appeal for witnesses following the incident in Park Mall.
“We were called to a report of a disturbance in Park Mall Shopping Centre, Ashford, shortly after 3pm on Sunday, June 23,” a spokesman said.
“Officers attended, and it was reported that a man had been assaulted by two teenage boys.
“A 15-year-old boy was arrested later that afternoon on suspicion of assault.
“He has since been bailed, and inquiries to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident are ongoing.
“Anyone who witnessed the assault and has yet to speak to police should call police on 01843 222289, quoting reference 46/103643/24.”
Last week, the leader of Ashford Borough Council called on shoppers to support the high street as the authority is in the process of spending £3m on the town centre.
Cllr Noel Ovenden (Ashford Independents) said residents needed to “walk the walk” and back the town, which has been hit by a number of shop closures.
The authority bought Park Mall in 2015 and has long held ambitions to convert the site to residential.