A DEFENCELESS young boy is today recovering in hospital after his jaw was shattered in a shocking attack in Ipswich town centre.

A DEFENCELESS young boy is today recovering in hospital after his jaw was shattered in a shocking attack in Ipswich town centre.

The 14-year-old from Ipswich suffered three fractures to his jaw and a bloodshot eye in the unprovoked assault outside the library in Northgate Street.

It was the latest in a spate of ugly incidents to plague the town.

The teenager was walking with four friends at around 6.30pm on Friday when the two men shouted at him before one of them punched him in the face.

The first man was white, aged 20 to 23-years-old and the second man was described as black and also aged between 20 and 23.

A police spokeswoman said: “This was a nasty unprovoked attack on a young boy.

“We are treating it very seriously.”

Towns and cities across the UK have been affected by the scourge of street violence.

The latest example caused the death of a millionaire banker in Norwich last month. The death of Frank McGarahan has forced police in Norwich to call an emergency meeting in the wake of the killing of the father-of-two.

Norfolk police, which carried out extra patrols over the first weekend after the tragic killing, intends to discuss whether safety improvements could be made to the city centre.

Police in Ipswich are also today investigating a string of attacks in the town centre in which:

A 44-year-old victim suffered a broken jaw and another victim was left with a swollen eye in an attack on September 30. Six men, believed to be soldiers from Rock Barracks in Woodbridge, have been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm after the attack on two men outside Fire & Ice in Tacket Street.

A 44-year-old woman was walking with her daughter in Crown Street at around 2.25pm on Sunday when she was punched in the face by another woman.

Another late-night attack occurred on September 27 when a 21-year-old man was punched in the head and face outside a taxi rank in Old Foundry Road at around 1.45pm.

Police say they have no plans to call a similar meeting, but are monitoring the situation in Norwich very closely.

Superintendant Alan Caton said: “We are concerned about any assaults and we always target those who try to spoil things for others.”

Anyone with information about these crimes should call Ipswich police on 01473 613500 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

What is your reaction to the attacks? Write to Your Letters, The Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.