THREE boys were attacked and robbed in a park in Yate yesterday afternoon.

The three boys all aged 12 were punched, robbed and had their bikes vandalised and thrown in the lake by another group of boys at Kingsgate Park in Yate around 4pm on Monday.

The mother of one of the victims, who asked not be named, has spoken of her utter horror and disgust that her ‘timid’ child had been attacked for apparently ‘sitting on the wrong bench.’

One boy was punched in the head, and another was pinned to the ground and robbed of his wallet.

She said: “It's vile behaviour.

"My son and his friends were targeted, it would seem because they were sat on a log that these other boys, deemed was theirs.

“These kids attacked ours for absolutely no reason, they knocked one off his bike, before riding away on it and throwing it in the lake.

“A second one tried to ride away but they caught hold off his tyre and tried to rip the brakes off, as he stopped another child punched him straight in the head- my son has it on film and you can see the poor child almost fell over.”

The mother said as the child was punched, he dropped his bike and ran away. A third child then attempted to retrieve the bike for him and was attacked before being pushed and then pinned to ground as the youth threatened him and demanded his wallet.

She added: “My son said the poor child handed his wallet over crying and begged they didn’t take his phone- apparently as they left, they told him he was lucky, and they would be back for his phone.”

The mother said members of the group were recognised by a parent in the park and a number of names had been handed to the attending officers.

A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset police said: “Police attended Kingsgate Park, Yate on Monday afternoon just after 4pm.

 “They were told that a group of three boys aged 11 and 12 were in the park when three other boys took £10 from one of them, threw his friend's bicycle in the lake and punched a third in the head.

“The money and the bicycle were recovered by the children's parents and no damage was reported to the attending officers.

“Officers have the names of those reportedly responsible and spoke with one of them, a boy aged 11, at the scene.

 “The incident has been recorded as a robbery and inquiries continue.”

Anyone who witnessed the incident but who did not speak with officers at the scene, or who has any other information which could help, is asked to call 101 and give the reference 5222177455.