THE teenage son of an Ipswich vicar is today nursing a swollen nose after he was mugged and assaulted only moments after he left his home.Mark Bourner had left his Cromer Road home at about 7.

By Jo Macdonald

THE teenage son of an Ipswich vicar is today nursing a swollen nose after he was mugged and assaulted only moments after he left his home.

Mark Bourner had left his Cromer Road home at about 7.15pm yesterday to walk to a bus stop on Norwich Road where he intended to catch a bus into the town centre to meet his friends and go to the cinema.

However he had walked only a matter of yards when he was approached by one female and two male youths.

The 18-year-old recalled: "They stopped me and asked if I had any money. I said 'No' but then one of them asked for my wallet.

"I said I wouldn't give it to him so he asked for change and then took my wallet off me and walked away. He told the others to follow him.

"They started to walk off and then one of them turned round and said what about his phone. Then he tried to take it off me.

"He said 'Don't push me' and then head butted me on the nose. It took me by surprise."

The three youths ran off in the direction of Bramford Lane having stolen Mark's wallet, which contained about £2.50 and a few bank cards.

Mark said he saw a female walking on the opposite side of the road towards Norwich Road but does not know if she saw the assault.

Following the attack Mark, who is in his second year of a business course at Suffolk College, returned home and was taken to Ipswich Hospital where his nose had to be reset.

He said: "It didn't really hurt when I was head butted but it caught me off guard."

This is the second time in Mark has been victim to an unprovoked attack. A couple of months ago he was walking along Norwich Road with a group of friends when someone ran past him and hit him on the head. He was injured on this occasion also.

"It's not good when you can't walk safely in your own street," said Mark, son of Rev Paul Bourner, vicar at St Thomas'.

"Obviously it makes you think twice about walking on your own. You don't think it will happen to you."

Ipswich Police would like to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time and who may have seen the incident, particularly the female who had been walking in the area at the time of the attack.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Constable Dave Goldie at Ipswich CID on 01473 613500 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.