Residents in west Tamworth want tougher action on youth crime

"Blood was pouring from my face... my white shirt was completely red," Mr Watson said.

Mr Watson said he was on his way home after attending a birthday party in Coledale about midnight on October 1, when he tried to stop a situation from escalating.

He said there were about 20 to 30 teenagers ranging in age from what he guesstimates was about eight years old to 18.

The father-of-one said he tried to protect himself by turning his back and covering his head with his arms and hands as they pelted him with rocks taken from the railway line on Roberts Street.

"There was a good clean laceration right from inside my nostril down to my lip," Mr Watson said of the deep wound which later required stitches.

"Eventually a car pulled up and laid on the horn and they sort of scattered. But my white shirt was completely red [with blood]."

In addition to the deep facial wound, Mr Watson suffered bruises over his body, body cuts from the rocks, and the youths stole his phone and the contents of his wallet.

Residents say attacks like this are too common.

Coledale local Amelia Darlington established a Facebook Page - Fighting to keep our town safe, Tamworth - after a group chat was created by a girl in Tamworth who shared her experience of being assaulted in the area.

In the short time it has been online, it has already garnered 178 followers.

"Then a bunch of people went into that group chat, and told us stories about how we've been ignored," Ms Darlington said.

"People's houses are getting broken into, cars have been stolen, and all we get is a case number from the police. So we've banded together because we got real fed-up with not being heard."

In response, Oxley District Superintendent Bruce Grassick said police are pursuing a line of inquiry in relation to Mr Watson's case, which is currently still "open and active".

The senior officer said there has been a "significant decrease" in the number of youth crimes in Tamworth from September to October, as police get tough on unlawful activity in relation to Operation Mongoose - a program which was also recently launched in Dubbo.

On Tuesday, police arrested a 13-year-old girl who was later charged with intentionally lighting fires near the Tamworth 'Youthie' and throwing a projectile at police officers.

The teenager will face court in November.

Police are also appealing for help after a man was stabbed in the back during an early morning brawl in West Tamworth.

Superintendent Grassick said police are collaborating with a number of stakeholders, including Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson and Tamworth Regional Council to establish a program for disengaged school-age youths.

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