A charity volunteer has condemned the state of the city centre after he was attacked by two youths while shopping.
Anthony Boxell, 51, says Ashford is now all “coffee shops, nail salons and a bunch of criminals” after he was mugged at Park Mall.
According to the Kennington resident, the incident occurred when he intervened in an argument between the two youths and another couple of youths on North Street.
The YMCA charity shop worker was then followed to the nearby shopping centre, where he took refuge in the Warhammer store before being attacked in the Made in Ashford store.
Police have arrested a 15-year-old boy on suspicion of assault following the incident, which took place just after 3pm on Sunday, June 23.
“Some of the kids 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 to Warhammer but they followed me in there. The staff were very helpful and kept talking but then they saw me going to Made in Ashford.
“They came into the store, broke my walking stick and then one of them started banging on my head.”
Mr Boxell, who suffered a cut to his face, believes Ashford is on a downward spiral and is calling on authorities to do more to support young people in the town.
“It’s all coffee shops, nail salons and a bunch of criminals, and they’re all hanging out at McDonald’s, the fountain or the bandstand, and nobody wants to go near them,” he said.
“When they hang out on the streets, they encounter unwanted people and get sucked into them.
“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 on the streets.
“Children need somewhere to go and they should be involved in designing a youth club, if they play a part in it they might want to go to something they have done.
“It wouldn’t solve the problem, but it would certainly help to move it forward. At the moment these young people have nothing to do but ride scooters and do wheelies down the high street.”
Kent County Council has previously announced £900,000 in cuts to youth services across the region as the council, which is struggling financially, tries to get its finances in order.
This week, a spokesperson said youth care is in a transition phase and that the agency is investigating how it can help those most affected.
They said: “Given the well-documented challenges arising from the need for KCC to make savings totalling £58 million this financial year, the decision was taken in November 2023 not to re-engage external youth clubs and activities when their contracts expired in March 2024.
“KCC’s youth services will continue and we are currently transitioning to Family Hubs, which will allow us to better target services to young people where they are needed most – through a mix of on-site, online and community settings.
“The council is currently undertaking a needs assessment of the children in each district. This assessment will determine how the services provided by each Family Hub will be tailored in the future and will enhance the advice available to parents and carers to support their children through the Family Hub.
“Family Hub staff 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 to reports of a disturbance at Park Mall Shopping Centre, Ashford, shortly after 3pm on Sunday 23 June,” a spokesperson said.
“Officers arrived on scene and it was reported that a man had been attacked by two teenage boys.
“A 15-year-old boy was arrested later that afternoon on suspicion of assault.
“He has now been released on bail and the full circumstances surrounding the incident are still being investigated.
“Anyone who witnessed the attack and has not yet spoken to police is asked to call police on 01843 222289, quoting reference number 46/103643/24.”
Last week the leader of Ashford Council urged shoppers to support the high street as the council invests £3m in the town centre.
Councillor Noel Ovenden (Ashford Independents) said residents should follow suit and support the town, which has been hit by a number of store closures.
The authority purchased Park Mall in 2015 and has long harboured ambitions to transform the site into a residential area.