Brick attack girl 'badly injured'

A four-year-old girl who was hit in the face by a brick thrown through the window of a van suffered "horrendous injuries" but they could have been much worse, police said today.

Jersey-Lou Perry suffered a broken nose, two lost teeth and numerous other injuries to her face when youths attacked her father's van in Grimsby, north-east Lincolnshire.

The incident happened last Thursday when her dad Kyle Perry, 23, stopped to remonstrate with a group of up to 20 youths after a ball hit his vehicle.

Mr Perry has described how he saw one youth throw a brick at his van. The brick smashed through a window and hit his daughter in the face.

Today, Inspector Mel Christie, of Humberside Police, appealed for the group of teenagers to come forward.

He said a 17-year-old youth had been arrested and remained in custody, but he wanted to speak to all of those who were there.

Insp Christie assured them they would be treated as witnesses to begin with.

Speaking outside a police station, just a few yards from where the incident happened on Rutland Street, he said: "Unfortunately a four-year-old girl was assaulted.

"It would appear at the moment as if some sort of brick was thrown at a van she was in and it's broken the window of the van and it's hit her in the face."

Insp Christie added: "I think it was serious for the young girl involved.

"She's received some quite horrendous injuries. But it could have been worse, yes."

"We need to know who was involved and we're asking them to come forward. At the moment they will be treated as witnesses.

"I don't think some people think through the consequences of their actions and throwing a brick at a vehicle can have horrendous consequences, as this incident shows."

Insp Christie appealed for other members of the teenage gang involved to come forward.

He said: "Yesterday afternoon one local male, a 17-year-old man, was arrested and he's in custody being questioned at the moment.

"However, we're aware there was probably between around 10 and 20 youths involved in this incident and we're appealing for those youths to come forward and speak to Humberside Police as soon as possible."

Asked how the victim was doing, he said: "She seems to be making a good recovery and I hope she continues to do so."

The officer said special patrols were on the streets in the area to reassure the public and collect information.

Yesterday, Mr Perry described how he rushed his daughter to hospital after the brick flew into his minibus van, smashing the glass.

Jersey-Lou was taken to Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, in Grimsby, where she was kept in overnight for observations.

Her mother Laura Mussell, 22, told the Grimsby Telegraph: "If I was the parent of the coward responsible for this, then I would be completely ashamed and the first thing I would do would be to drag them down to the police station."