Three youths are being hunted today after a woman was punched in the face while trying to protect her son following a snowball attack.

IPSWICH: Three youths are being hunted today after a woman was punched in the face while trying to protect her son following a snowball attack.

The assault occurred near The Golden Hind pub in Nacton Road at around 2.30pm on Wednesday as the pair were driving to the bank at Ransomes Europark in their two-year-old Range Rover.

The woman, who is in her 50s but did not want to be named, said: “We were going along normally when suddenly there were three or maybe four or five really loud thumps on the passenger side of the car.”

She stopped her white Range Rover and when the woman got out with her son see what had happened, they saw three black youths aged around 16 to 18, who had been throwing snowballs.

The woman said: “They were just laughing. We asked what they were doing and one of them said we were being racist.”

The youth then made abusive remarks about the woman and her son driving a “posh” vehicle, while the youngsters lived in council houses.

The woman said: “According to an older gentleman walking past, they had been throwing snowballs at nice cars for some time. They had been rolling stones up in the snow.

“When we got out I thought they were going to say they were sorry or run away, but there was all this abuse from them. They were big lads, around 6ft 2in tall.

“My son told them they were silly kids and one said 'why did you say that?'. One pushed my son and another started on him.”

As the woman was trying to stop her son getting attacked, she was struck on the cheekbone by one of the youths. The woman believes she got in the way of a punch which was meant for her son.

As the pair got back into their vehicle one youth shouted “get out, get out”, before the yobs attacked the Range Rover.

The woman said: “We went to get back in the car and they came and gave the car a good kicking.”

The offenders then left in the direction of Felix Road. Anyone who can help police find the culprits should telephone Matthew Smy at Ipswich South East Safer Neighbourhood Team on 01473 613500 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

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