For several months, 84-year-old Graham Powell and his wife have felt frightened and 'under siege' in their own home.

The couple say a gang of youths has waged a campaign of harassment against them - vandalising their car, subjecting them to verbal abuse and violence - without censure from the police.

So Mr Powell was surprised when he waved his walking stick to remonstrate with one of the teenagers - and was promptly arrested on suspicion of assault.

The former council chief was forced to spend six hours in a police station being questioned by officers after the 15-year-old claimed he had been struck.

Now facing a possible court appearance, Mr Powell has written to the chief constable of the force to demand answers over why no action was taken to protect him and his 74-year-old wife from the 'feral' youths.

He said yesterday: 'My wife and myself are under siege from up to ten local youths aged between 11 and 15 and the police are doing nothing about it.

'I have identified the youths but despite my complaints the police do not seem to be taking it seriously.

'It is outrageous that these feral youths believe they are beyond the law. Instead of them being arrested I am now facing standing in the dock.'

Mr and Mrs Powell say they have been virtual prisoners in their flat at Caldicot near Newport, South Wales.

A series of incidents which Mr Powell has listed in his letter includes their car rear lights being smashed, and tyres let down.

His wife, a former Mayor of Caldicot, has been trapped in her garage twice by youths who have jammed the door shut and on another occasion a teenager tried to drive her car away as she cleaned it.

Mr Powell, a Labour councillor and former leader of Gwent County Council, said yesterday: 'I have lived here peacefully for 31 years until recently.

'We are constantly being verbally abused whenever we step outside, youths peer into our living room and ring our door bell.

'Our kitchen window has been smeared with eggs and drawing pins have been placed upright under our doormat.

'During the recent wintry weather our letter box was filled with ice and our back door barricaded with snow. They have also threatened to cut the brake pipes on my car.'

The former railway guard also spoke of his recollection of the confrontation which led to his arrest.

He said: 'I remonstrated with the youth after my wife caught him fiddling with one of the letter boxes.

'He told me to mid my own 'effing' business and punched me on the arm and tried to run up the stairs of the flats.

'I poked my walking stick through the rails to stop him and he forced the stick down with his arm.

'A few seconds later two heavy plant pots were thrown at me narrowly missing my head.'

The grandfather added: 'I was amazed when the police accused me of assault and kept me in the police station for six hours.

'I am on police bail and have to report back at the beginning of next month. My letter to the chief constable is a plea for help.'

He said in his open letter to Mick Giannasi, Chief Constable of Gwent Police: 'My wife and I are desperately in need of your help in common with all those who find themselves in a similar situation.

'The problem is feral youths who appear to be beyond the law despite the ample legislation which Parliament has enacted to deal with them.

'We are constantly harassed by a group of youths who seem to be able to do what they like without fear of the law or any form of sanction or punishment.'

Comparing his situation to the experience of Fiona Pilkington, who killed herself and her disabled daughter after they were subjected to a similar catalogue of abuse, he continued: 'The boys seem to get bolder each time they do something and find nothing happens to them.

'We are left constantly wondering what his going to happen next - is it going to be a lighted petrol-soaked rag through a door or window?

'I have dialled 999 several times and officers have visited me but there has been no real action.

'Surely it is not acceptable that elderly people should feel in a state of siege in their own homes and live in fear of that the next day is going to bring.'

A spokesman for Gwent Police said: 'An 84-year-old-man was arrested following an incident on suspicion of assault.

'He was released on police bail pending further enquiries.'

She added: 'Any report of crime made to Gwent Police will be fully investigated and the appropriate course of action taken.

'It would be inappropriate for us to comment further about reports made or correspondence received from a particular individual.'













Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1249423...s.html#ixzz0eyI8l2RZ

Oh! What a miserable time these lads/ girls are giving this old couple, I feel so sorry for them they must be at their wits end, how sad.

It never ceases to bewilder me when this type of thing happens. Its typical of the police, they do nothing about the youths or they say they need evidence. Yet when somebody makes an allegation of being assaulted, the Police say they are duty bound to investigate. The result is the same; the person the allegation was made against is taken to the station and then released on bail. I’ve said it before I have no confidence in the police or the judicial system.


Edit: If is it were me I think id play the system and make a counter claim that the person assulted me and threatened to kill me. I wouldnt take any pleasure in having to lie but it seems the only way to get any justice.

I wonder why the police didn't feel duty bound to help these poor folks when they'd made so many complaints. Remember what happened to that poor woman who committed suicide ? you'd think the police would have learned a lesson.

Since when, in recent times, can we expect anyone in government or authority to learn anything from any mistake?

Baby P, The poor lady already mentioned and the list goes on and on.

The only time they learn from their mistakes is when they find a personal profit in it, i.e. claiming parliamentary privelige to walk away free.

There is a line from a very bad film that goes "People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people".

Without doubt it's about time we tried that tack.

That's precisely what annoys me though Waylander - this constant "lessons will be / have been learned" because it's obvious that they are never, ever learned so we go on and on making the same mistakes it seems.
Even Neanderthals got the message eventually but do our "lords and masters"?
No.

The only times "lessons are learned" are when the aristocracy, MPS, the Judiciary, the clergy, the senior professional classes or royalty or their respective offspring are involved and voila, something is finally done about whatever the problem is but if it's us plebs, forget it.
Remember the refrain when the last coach full of pensioners crashed?
Yep, calls for coach seat belts to be compulsory - again so we'll carry on having the Baby Ps, pensioners being attacked, sometimes in their own homes and then arrested for retaliating, and coach crashes of course until it's a VIP involved, then - maybe - they'll do something but don't count on Cameron's mob to do it.

stevmk2