The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Two teenage boys have been released on bail following an alleged sexual assault in a Holbeach park during daylight hours.
Police were called to Stukeley Grounds at Spalding Road on Monday night (July 29).
The incident was reported at 8.32pm and police have put out an appeal for anyone who was in the area between 7pm and 8.30pm.
On Tuesday, a police spokesman said: “Two young men, aged 16 and 13, have been arrested in connection with this incident and remain in custody”.
The spokesman continued: “There are no outstanding offenders.”
On Wednesday morning, police confirmed the two boys have been bailed “while investigations are ongoing”.
A dog walker who regularly walks through the park during evenings and wishes to remain anonymous, said on Monday night the park was particularly busy and littered with discarded alcohol bottles and cans at a bench usually frequented by youngsters.
“I’ve never seen so many cans and bottles, so it looks like youngsters had been there all afternoon. This is the worst I’ve seen for cans,” they said.
They said the park is often quiet but “in the summer holidays it gets worse and suffers from vandalism.”
Passing after the police arrived, the dog walker described the scene. “There was lots of activity and kids hanging around. As a conservative guess I’d say there were at least 20 youths.
“There were three or four police cars, a lot of young people of both sexes and a lot of shouting going on.”
The dog walker also describes seeing a young girl in the back of a police car.
“The police then put blue and white tape around a forest area of the park,” the dog walker added.
Although the park gets busier during the holidays, the scene was out of the ordinary, the dog walker said. “You don’t normally see that sort of thing in Holbeach.”
Another member of the public who passed by the park at 8pm described a lot of activity, with young people shouting and going in and out of the park, and across the road to premises on West End.
On Tuesday morning, police were still at the scene, working behind a cordon.
A police statement appealing for witnesses said: “We would like to hear from anyone who was in the area of Stukeley Hall park between 7pm-8.30pm on Monday 29 July and think they may be able to help with our investigation.”
To contact the police, call 101, quoting the reference 475 of July 29. Alternatively, email force.control@lincs.pnn.police,uk with ref 475 of 29 July in the subject box.
You can also contact us through the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org
