People 'scared to go out' after serious town assault puts man in hospital

ILKESTON residents say they are “scared to go out” after a “serious assault” that left a man in hospital with serious injuries.

- By GEORGE PALMER-SOADY

Police were called to the incident in Market Place at 2.10am yesterday.

They said a man was taken to hospital following the incident, with the area likely to be cordoned off for some time.

Pedestrians were advised to “take alternative routes where possible” as businesses inside the cordon stayed closed.

Officers remained in the area and directed people away from the cordon.

Residents spoke out, with some blaming the decline of the “once great” town centre.

A 78-year-old man who has lived in Ilkeston all his life, said: “Violence seems to be happening all the time now. You can’t pick up the paper or watch the news without seeing it. There's no deterrent - young people couldn't care less now. They'll just go to jail and then 10 years later they are walking free and they will break the law again.”