14-year-old arrested after fight at Canal Basin leaves men injured and cars smashed

An off-duty police officer came to the victims' aid



A 14-year-old boy has been arrested after a fight left two men injured and saw cars smashed at Coventry's Canal Basin.

Police were called at 6.30pm to Leicester Row in Foleshill last night (October 5) after a group of youths assaulted two men and attacked their cars with metal bars.

The fight broke out on the bridge which crosses the ring road and leads into the city centre.

An off-duty police officer was luckily there at the right time and went to the victims' aid.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: " It’s understood members of the group were throwing objects at a disused building, smashing its windows, when a member of the public remonstrated with them over concerns his car parked nearby could be damaged.

“The two men suffered minor injuries during a fight; an off duty West Midlands Police officer came to the victims’ aid.

" On-duty police colleagues later arrested a 14-year-old located nearby on suspicion of assault and criminal damage.

“The teenager, from the Binley area of Coventry, was arrested at around 7pm and remains in police custody.”

What the Hell is this city coming to?

14 year old from Binley?? Will he be in bother when he gets home?? Probably not.

Fast food van man attacked at Canal basin



The owner of a Coventry fast food van attacked by youths on Friday night (October 5) said he tried to run away as they threw glass at him.

The incident saw armed police and sniffer dogs swam the area shortly after 6.30pm.

Badr, who only wanted to give his first name, said the group had been smashing windows and throwing material from a nearby building site at people throughout the day.

Later that night the trouble escalated as the owner of the food van, next to the ring road on Leicester Row, and an off duty police officer who had come to his aid were attacked.

He said he also had broken glass thrown at him, and the rear window of his car was smashed with a metal pole.

A 14-year-old boy was arrested and has since been released pending further investigation, a West Midlands Police spokesman confirmed this morning (October 8).

Badr, who also had a generator stolen from his Foleshill food van a few months ago, told CoventryLive: "They are not scared at all.

"I heard them smashing the windows and later they were throwing the glass onto the cars.

"My car was there and I was just worried so I moved it to a safe place outside the Coventry Telegraph office.

"When they saw that I was worried about my car they started throwing more glass at me.

"Later they are coming with metal bars and a police officer, he was off duty, he was asking what was going on and trying to understand like a normal person.

"Two of them started to attack us and had metal bars so everybody was running away. Then they smashed the car window.

"We ran away but I damaged my leg and I couldn't run. I still can't walk properly now.

"I was hiding by the Coventry Telegraph office and somebody came from behind and wanted to hit me so I covered my head with my hands.

"Then there were armed police and police with dogs."