Bradley Stoke snake attack sparks media frenzy
Posted on Monday 10th August 2009 at 11:46 pm by SH (Editor)
An attack which saw a group of youths force a snake to bite their 14-year-old victim in Bradley Stoke has hit the national headlines.
The story was broken by the Bristol Evening Post (BEP) at 10am on Sunday.
Their report, titled “Teen attacked by Bristol gang ‘brandishing snake’“, said the incident had occurred in Merryweather Close, Bradley Stoke, on Saturday afternoon. The victim is said to have been subjected to racist comments from the gang.
The paper went on to say that the boy was taken to Frenchay Hospital, where he was treated for a bite wound on his right arm.
The story was soon picked up by the national press, with BEP stablemate The Daily Mail [report] leading the way. Other nationals covering the incident included The Telegraph [report] and The Guardian [report].
More details were revealed in a BBC Points West report on Monday, in which the victim was named as Dan Buddington.
Confusingly, the BBC report said the incident took place in “Patchway Common, Bradley Stoke”. Video footage in the report showed images of Patchway Common Pavilion and Patchway Common Skate Park, both of which are in Patchway rather than Bradley Stoke.
An updated report in Monday’s BEP says: “A 16 and 17-year-old are helping police with their inquiries following the incident.”
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Staple Hill police station on 0845 456 7000.
