A charity volunteer has slammed the state of a town center after he was attacked by two youths while shopping.
Anthony Boxell, 51, says Ashford is now home to only “cafes, nail bars and a bunch of thugs” after being settled in Park Mall.
The Kennington resident says the incident happened when he intervened in an argument between two youths and another pair of youths in North Street.
The YMCA charity shop worker was then followed to a nearby shopping center where he took refuge in a Warhammer games store before being attacked in the Made in Ashford store.
Police arrested a 15-year-old boy on suspicion of assault following the incident, which happened shortly after 3pm on Sunday 23 June.
“Some lads who know me said they were followed by two others so I told them to leave them alone,” Mr Boxell said.
“I left and went to Warhammer, but they followed me there. The staff were quite helpful and let them talk but then they saw me go to Made in Ashford.
“They came into the shop, broke my stick and then one of them started hitting me on the 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.
“It’s just coffee shops and nail bars and a bunch of thugs and they’re all hanging around the McDonald’s or the fountain or the stands and nobody wants to go near them,” he said.
“When they roam the streets, they meet the undesirables and get drawn into it.
“But they have nothing else to do. there are no youth clubs, they have nowhere to go, so all they can do is hang around the streets.
“Kids need somewhere to go and they should be involved in designing a youth club because if they have a part in it, they might actually want to go to something they’ve already done.
“It wouldn’t eliminate the problem, but it would certainly help move it forward. Right now, these young people have nothing else to do but ride scooters and pull wheelies down the high street.”
Kent County Council has previously announced £900,000 of cuts to youth services across the county as the cash-strapped council tries to balance its books.
This week, a spokesman said youth services were in transition and the authority was looking at how to help those most affected.
They said: “Due to the well-documented challenges of the KCC’s need to save a total of £58 million this financial year, the decision was taken in November not to allow external youth clubs and activities when their contracts expire in March 2024. 2023.
“KCC’s youth services continue and we are currently transitioning to Family Hubs, which will help us better target services to young people where they are most needed – through a combination of online, online and community settings.
“The council is now carrying out a children’s needs assessment in each district, which will further inform how individual Family Hub services are targeted in the future and will expand the advice available to parents and carers to support their children through the Family Hub.
“Family Hub staff will continue to provide families with a range of information, including other local services.”
Police have now launched an appeal for witnesses following the incident at Park Mall.
“We were called shortly after 3pm on Sunday 23 June to reports of a disturbance at the Park Mall in Ashford,” a spokesman said.
“Officers attended and it was reported that two teenage boys had assaulted a male.
“A 15-year-old boy was arrested later this afternoon on suspicion of assault.
“He has since been released on bail and inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
“Anyone who witnessed the assault and has not yet spoken to police should call police on 01843 222289 quoting reference number 46/103643/24.”
Last week, the leader of Ashford Borough Council urged 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 return to the town, which has been hit by a number of shop closures.
The authority bought Park Mall in 2015 and has a long-term ambition to transform the location into a residential one.