Stortford pub barman hit in the stomach with rocket as he chased fireworks louts

A Bishop's Stortford pub co-manager was hit in the stomach with a firework as he chased four youths who were firing rockets at the building.

A group of hooded teenagers started aiming fireworks at the Marne Inn on Thorley Park between 10.30pm and 11pm on Saturday (Nov 2) during the pub's Hallowe'en party, complete with fancy dress and live music. They also fired them at the neighbouring Sainsbury's petrol station.

The Marne landlord Aaron Fennell and co-manager Andi Pearce emerged and chased away the yobs, who fired rockets at the pair as they fled towards the Thorley Wedge.

Andi, who was wearing a skin-tight skeleton fancy dress costume, was hit by one of them.

"I was quite lucky – Morphsuits are highly flammable," he said. "It left a hole in the costume but it could have gone up in flames."

The group escaped. Andi was left with a mark, but was not badly injured. Police were called and officers were quick to arrive at the scene, but there was no sign of the youths.

The incident was part of a wave of disorder in the town on Hallowe'en night (Oct 31). In the space of three hours from 7pm to 10pm, Bishop’s Stortford police’s Safer Neighbourhood Team responded to almost 50 incidents of antisocial behaviour as rockets were fired at police, houses and cars.

The next morning, a 14-year-old boy who had been hit in the face with a firework in Sawbridgeworth was in hospital with "potentially serious injuries" and Bishop's Stortford police sergeant Mark Collins warned that prosecutions would follow the aftermath of the criminal disorder.

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