VIDEO: Man beaten in alleged '˜honey trap' attack
A pair of male thugs rained punches and kicks down on an elderly man as he lay in the road while two women looked on in a vicious attack on Sunday night.
It has been suggested locally that the women flirted with the man to lure him to Charnley Road, where he was then assaulted by their accomplices.
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Hide AdThe attack was caught on CCTV, and appears to show one of the attackers smashing a glass over the victim’s head as he lay motionless on the ground.
Police are now working to determine whether the attack, which happened at 1.50am, is linked to a report that a man was assaulted on Albert Road in the early hours of the previous day.
A spokesman said: “We were called at around 2am on Sunday morning to reports that a man had been assaulted on Charnley Road, Blackpool. The man suffered some facial injuries and was treated by paramedics at the scene.” Gerard Walsh, 49, owner of the St Nicholas Holiday Flats on Coronation Street, said it was a group of his guests on a stag do who rushed to the victim’s aid.
He said: “I had six squaddies in from Scotland who saw the older gentleman being attacked in the road, and they ran out and put a pillow under his head.
“He was bleeding quite badly.
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Hide Ad“This is an ongoing problem in the area; it’s like a magnet for it. Just on Friday there was a similar attack. I think it will continue for as long as these people are out there.”
Another hotelier, who did not wish to be named, said: “There is definitely a major problem with violence and drugs in the area, but nobody wants to talk about it because it would put people off wanting to come here. But it’s come to the point where something has to be done.
“There’s less money in B&Bs nowadays; hotel owners are selling cheap and landlords think they can make a good profit by turning buildings into HMOs, which would be fine but often they let the wrong people in.”
Police were unable to confirm or deny suspicions that the women had made sexual advances on the victim in order to lure him into the street, as the investigation is still in its early stages.
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Hide AdThe anonymous hotelier said: “The two women are quite well-known in the area.”
A police spokesman said: “Enquiries are on-going. Anyone with information can contact police on 101 quoting crime reference WA1701938.”