I love the way the mention the drug and alcohol problems so prominantly, and the way the oldest members are 18, and therefore 4 years old in 1990, and yet they still somehow named their gang after a hip hop act from that era, now thats old skool.Teen thugs in pub rampage
March 17, 2004 12:05
A GANG of teen yobs have targeted a Norwich pub beating up customers, stealing more than £1,500 and threatening the landlady with a smashed ashtray.
Dawn Clarke, who runs the Catherine Wheel, today told of the "living nightmare" being wreaked on her St Augustines Street pub by the so-called Above the Law gang ATL.
She said the 40-strong mob of boys and girls, many high on alcohol and drugs, had targeted "goth nights" - aimed at follows of the popular music and fashion cult - she had put on the last four Fridays.
She has now had to cancel the successful nights and employ bouncers to keep the teen terrors out.
The 40-year-old said: "It is absolutely unbelievable. In 20 years in the trade I have never seen anything like it. You would have to see it to believe it. It is an absolute living nightmare."
On the first Friday, they burst in at closing time, attacked the goths, ransacked the pub and took £1,587 in takings from the till.
Nine of them grabbed Ms Clarke's 14-year-old daughter, Jade Button, who lives upstairs and had come down to see what the commotion was, and tried to pull her out of the premises.
One thug then smashed an ashtray and held it to Ms Clarke's throat, threatening her.
Since that first Friday, Ms Clarke has employed bouncers to keep the thugs out.
But the group have simply waited outside for the goths to leave and attack them on the street.
Several have required hospital treatment.
The yobs have also staged late night attacks on the pub, smashing windows.
She estimates that the cost of all the damage goes into several thousand pounds.
On one occasion, she confronted one of the ringleaders.
"I went outside to him and said 'what do you want?' He said 'we're ATL - we're above the law. And then he spat in my face."
She went on: "We were stormed by about 30 to 40 of them, aged between 13 and 17.
"They hit the pub like screaming banshees. I have never experienced anything like it.
"They were absolutely smashed. There were boys and girls. They ran about and wave anything they have got in their hands - pieces of wood, smashed glasses. They smashed the pub to smithereens."
She added: "This was a beautiful pub with a wonderful atmosphere which has worked really well. The goth nights were attended by really decent people. But people are ending up in hospital. Customers daren't leave the pub at the end of the night.
"This Friday I am expecting it again even though the goths aren't coming back. They are terrified."
Ms Clarke has enlisted the help of the St Augustines Community Residents' Group, but is unhappy at the lack of police presence.
Residents' Group chairwoman Donna Williams said: "Dawn made us aware of the problems. I had seen the broken windows myself and we went in to speak to her about how we could help.
"She is frightened. She is at the end of her tether. We want to see it stop. She doesn't feel as though she is getting the support of the police."
Ms Williams has been talking to other people in the area affected by the youths and has asked to speak to police.
As yet, no one from the force has been in touch.
Inspector Brian Pincher, from Norwich police, said a significant number of officers had been called to the scene last Friday, including a public order unit and a prisoner van.
He said officers had made arrests for common assault.
"When police are called to an incident at a venue we will attend. If a licensee is expecting trouble they have a duty to alert us.
"Licensee checks are totally separate, to see if pubs are being run properly."
In an article in October last year, the Evening News first revealed details about the so-called ATL gang, who take their name from an American hip-hop act of the early 1990s.
Known to police, the arrogant youths first came to public prominence by scrawling ATL on walls, street furniture and cars across Norwich.
But they have been linked to far more serious crimes including burglaries and muggings across Norwich.
The gang, which numbers about 40, patrols the streets armed with knives screwdrivers and chisels.
They are aged between about nine and 18-years-old and many have drug and alcohol problems.
I'm still surprised they didn't mention violent games and films.
:firing: :bazooka: 
