“Yobs on bikes” left Gloucester town crier Alan Myatt with minor injuries today when they tried to steal his hat and wig.
The 61-year-old was walking down Northgate Street in full garb at 4pm, after an appearance at Gloucester Stroke Club.
He says he was passing Trutex uniform shop when three “scabby-looking yobs on bikes” aged around 17 rode near him.
“They went ahead of me like a gang of sharks,” Mr Myatt said. “They tried to grab my hat.
“I fended them off because that is theft. I carried on walking. Then they came at me from behind.
“I turned around and managed to fend them off again. One guy came in and he grabbed my hat and wig.
“I grabbed him. He fell off his bike and dropped my things. I threw my bell at him and then he scarpered.”
Mr Myatt is not sure if the bell hit the boy, but it cracked when it fell to the ground and he will need a replacement.
The town crier fell during the struggle, hurting his knee and shoulder, which are now badly aching.
He said: “When you are 24 stone you go down like a tonne of bricks.”
Mr Myatt says the boys rode off towards Trier Way, but was unable to provide a description for them because they wore hoodies and the incident happened quickly.
The boys did not say anything at any point, Mr Myatt added.
“I was not scared but I was a bit shaken up,” he said. “I had a similar experience in the past when someone tried to pinch my bell a few years ago.”
Mr Myatt was helped up by some homeless people he knew through his charity work.
“They came to my aid and picked up my hat and wig for me,” he said.
Mr Myatt had a pint at Northgate Street’s Imperial Inn to calm his nerves. The landlord advised him to call police.
The town crier says he gave up trying to get through after repeatedly making calls to 101 for an hour and a half.
Mr Myatt was “disgusted” at being unable to speak to police.
He recently celebrated his 30th anniversary as Gloucester town crier.
A Gloucestershire police spokesman said: "The average 101 call wait time yesterday was six minutes and the longest time a call was held for was 30 minutes.
"We are sorry that the victim in this case feels dissatisfied with the service that he received but we have to prioritise 999 calls based on the harm, threat and risk involved.
"We would like to remind the public that incidents can be reported via our online form: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/contact-us/tell-us-about-something/?incident=443&date=10-11-2018."
