Yobs throwing rocks almost hit tiny Elise (From Gazette Series)

Yobs throwing rocks almost hit tiny Elise

YOUTHS who hurled stones at a family home in Wotton-under-Edge narrowly missed seriously injuring a tiny baby.

The Nelmes family was left reeling after a group of teenagers hurled stones and rocks at windows of the house in Shepherd's Leaze early last Thursday evening.

Cerys Nelmes, aged 27, a single mother from the town said she learnt about the attack after returning home from an evening out.

"When I got home I found out that these teenagers had walked down Shepherd's Leaze throwing stones at various windows," she told the Gazette this week.

"My dad lives a few doors down from me and by the time they had got to his house the stones had got bigger and one smashed the outside of his double glazing.

She added that her four-week-old niece Elise was staying with her father at the time of the incident and was lucky to escape unharmed.

"My niece was really close to the window that smashed.

"When you think of what might have happened it's frightening."

"I haven't got double glazing so if a bigger stone had hit my house my windows would have completely smashed, potentially hitting my little boy who sleeps near the window."

Frank Nelme, aged 60, whose window was smashed, is still very distressed by the events of the evening.

"It was incredible really, a rock came and smashed the outside window. "My granddaughter was the other side and I dread to think what would have happened if it had come right through the double glazing. It could have hit her head or anything.

"We were all in shock when it happened. I just don't understand why they did it."

Mr Nelme ran after the youths and managed to get the names of possible offenders which he passed on to police who attended the scene.

Matt Ford, spokesman for Gloucestershire Constabulary, said that the police investigation was still ongoing.

He added: "A group of youths had been seen running along the road earlier in the evening.

"One of the youths was described as wearing a camouflage jacket." Anyone with any information should contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 quoting incident number 555 for October 20.