Terrified mum and son flee playpark in Coalisland after fight breaks out

“I took my son to the smaller children’s park at Gortgonis on Tuesday afternoon around 3pm and we were having great fun”, she explained.

“Next I noticed two teenage boys coming in and they seemed nice enough, they both said hello. But next thing I saw this commotion, one boy had the other on the ground and was hitting his head off it. A crowd of teenagers then came up from the grassy area to cheer them on. My heart was racing and my son was really frightened. I just took him and left.”

A spokesperson for Mid Ulster Council, which owns the playpark, said: “Gortgonis is staffed on a part-time basis and our staff were not on duty when the incident occurred. However, at any time we expect our play parks to be spaces for children to enjoy, not places to encounter violence or anti-social behaviour. Undoubtedly witnessing an incident of this kind was distressing and we would urge anyone who did so, or who has any information which may help to identify those involved, to contact the police.”