Police are being called on to take more action to clamp down on “aggressive” teens terrorising people in Fort William.
Bulgarian-born Georgi Marinov, 42, was the victim of a brutal attack on Friday evening outside the Alexandra hotel.
The hotel worker claims youngsters threw stones and kicked him in the face and body, resulting in him losing consciousness.
Due to his serious injuries, Mr Marinov is unable to work and is currently left without an income.
The Alexandra Hotel worker had only recently moved to Fort William after spending the summer season in Oban.
He is considering moving away already.
A 14-year-old boy has been arrested by police as the investigation into the incident continues.
‘I felt safer living in Birmingham than Fort William’
Today, Mr Marinov told the P&J that he is concerned that police are not taking the matter seriously enough.
He said: “I have had a big shock. I feel that I can not go out as I am panicking that the same thing will happen again.
“The police spoke to me once and took a statement, but I have not heard anything since. I have not seen them out patrolling the streets.
“I have seen the young people hanging about again, but I do not see them being broken up or moved on.
“I am too afraid to go out. I am not able to work, and if I don’t work I do not earn money.”
Mr Marinov explained how he lived in Birmingham before moving to Scotland.
“When I was there, I felt safe,” he said.
“I do not feel safe here. They tried to kill me, for no reason at all.”
Local MP Angus MacDonald is calling on the police to investigate the matter as an “attempted murder”.
He said: “It is clear that during this attack, Mr Marinov could have died.
“I would say that this needs to be considered as an attempted murder.
“He was kicked in his face and body, to his serious injury. If this was an adult that had done this, I have no doubt the charges would be very serious indeed.”
Mr MacDonald said Fort William has an “ongoing and long-running” problem with youths.
“This new level of aggressive behaviour is catastrophic,” he said.
“People are frightened to go out in the town, and police are not doing enough to make people feel safe.
“There are a group of youths who are known to the police and to shopkeepers and it feels as though we all know, but people feel powerless to do anything.
“We need to stop these youths from terrorising people.”
Fort William shop keeper, Rhona Grant, previously spoke to the P&J of her concerns about young people running wild on the High Street. She is withholding her rent until something is done.
In relation to the attack on Mr Marinov, she said: “Sadly I am not surprised.”
‘We are working with partners to tackle this issue’
Police say they have been working with partners to tackle the issue in Fort William.
Inspector Ross McCartney said: “We are aware of the disruptive effect that antisocial behaviour has on our local communities, and we have been working with our partners, including the local authority, to tackle this issue in Fort William town centre.
“The local policing team have been monitoring the area and carrying out high-visibility patrols as well as engaging with young people to remind them of the consequences of antisocial behaviour and other criminality. The public can be assured we will take appropriate action where necessary.
“I would also urge parents and guardians to make sure they know where their children are, who they are associating with and what they are doing.”
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