Police probe yob attack on couple

Tom Bebbington and girlfriend were assaulted and suffered a broken ankle each.

POLICE have issued an appeal for witnesses after the brutal robbery of a couple as they walked home from a night out left both with broken ankles.

The shocking attack took place on Huddersfield Road, Oldham, on July 4 at around 12.20am.

Tom Bebbington (45) suffered a bleed on the brain and a broken right ankle, while girlfriend Emma Roughley (43) had to have pins and plates fitted into her left ankle as a result of the attack. The couple were making the short walk along Huddersfield Road to their home on Equitable Street after an evening in the Junction Inn when they were approached by a group of youths made up of boys and girls.

After being forced to the ground and assaulted the attackers rifled through their pockets and took their mobile phones and wallets.

The couple were taken to Royal Oldham Hospital where they were treated.

Tom said: "We were walking home and were attacked from behind, we didn't have a clue who it was. That's all we know, people came up and called the police and ambulances, we didn't get out of the hospital until the Tuesday night.

"We had our pockets gone through but we didn't have much on us.

"Emma is struggling a bit because she can't get out, we have a lot of stairs to climb so it's a bit of a nightmare to be honest.

"We walked along the main road to avoid the back streets, we certainly won't be walking again, we'll get a taxi.

The sickening attack has left the couple shocked and Emma will be off work for a minimum of eight weeks.

Tom added: "This was just random, even the police are shocked.

"It's the mentality I can't understand, I can't believe people are like that in this day and age, we're shocked about it now.

"It is well worth letting people know that these people are in the area, it could have been a 70-year-old who they attacked.

"Emma will be off work for a minimum of eight weeks and we're fortunate that the work is quite flexible so she can do some from home.

"The people who have done it don't care about that though, they're just thinking about whatever the attack is for, whether it is for their next fix or something like that, they didn't even say anything to us it was just wham-bam."

Kate Dawson, Detective Constable of GMP's Oldham borough, said: "This was quite frankly a brutal attack on two unsuspecting members of the public.

"Our investigation is in the early stages and there are a number of lines of enquiry which we are following but I would like to appeal to the public for their help.

"Although it was rather late at night when the incident took place, we are hopeful that somebody may have witnessed something that can assist with our enquiries."

Anyone with information is urged to call police on 0161-856 9063 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800-555 111.