30 yobs attack Mumbles land train carrying young families

DRUNKEN yobs attacked a land train travelling from Blackpill to Mumbles with parents and young children on board.

A group of around 30 youngsters, who were taking part in a skateboarding competition at West Cross skate park without the approval of Swansea Council, are thought to be behind the incident.

Mum Mandy Grey, aged 42, a council worker from Brynhyfryd, was on the train with partner Richard Porter and their one-year-old daughter Tammy.

"As we approached the skate park we could see this gang of youths standing in front of the train," she said.

"Of course, the driver had to stop and with that, they started hanging on the sides. We couldn't get off because the whole train was surrounded, some of them were jumping on the roof.

"Somehow, one of their skateboards got stuck under the train and they started rocking it from side to side, I thought it was going to tip over.

"Apparently, it is something they do every year at this event and they were obviously waiting for the train to come along."

The 72-seater land train, known as the Swansea Bay Rider, runs along Swansea promenade from Blackpill Lido to Mumbles.

Ms Grey said the group, which struck at around 4pm on Sunday, was mostly made up of teenagers, but also included younger children and adults.

"I'm not easily scared but it was absolutely horrendous, really intimidating," she added. "I shouted at them to get off, which upset my daughter, it could have got nasty.

"I'm just glad my husband was there. In the end I decided to call the police."

"These kids had clearly been drinking — I saw 12- year-olds walking around swigging cans of beer."

Ms Grey said she got in touch with the Post in a bid to prevent such an incident happening again.

"I really wouldn't like it to happen to anyone else," she said. "What if there had been elderly people on board?"

A council spokeswoman said: "Swansea Council had no prior knowledge of the skateboarding event in West Cross and had not given approval for it to go ahead.

"We are pursuing the matter with the organisers.

"Slight damage was caused to the Swansea Bay Land Train but nobody was hurt."

A police spokesman said: "I can confirm officers were called to incidents of anti-social behaviour which occurred at about 5pm on Sunday at Mumbles Road in Blackpill, when a number of youths on skateboards began banging on the side of the land train, causing distress to passengers. The youths were spoken to and told to behave and the train continued on its journey."