A resident has been run out of a Wagga suburb due to fear of being attacked following a spate of violent brawls.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The man said there were children as young as six involved, with bats, sticks and knives.
Suffering from regular nightmares following fights which resulted in vandalism and property damage at the man’s home, he often wakes up in a sweat.
“It’s having an effect on my health – it’s just that it’s not normal to have brawls in your street,” he said.
“One of our friends keeps saying I know you have a nice place but you have to get out.”
It comes after a number of brawls broke out in Tolland, with four fights erupting since November last year and three in the vicinity of hotspot Toy Place.
The man, who asked for his name to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution, said he reached a tipping point on Monday when yet another brawl broke out, the second within two days at Wagga.
While the resident wasn’t critical of police and noted the extra patrols sent out in the area in an attempt to combat the incidents, he remains fearful for his safety.
“We’re getting ready to move on because we’ve had enough,” he said.
“By the time the police get here it’s dribbling down, it’s already exploded.
“You can hear the sirens and as soon as that happens they whistle to each other, everyone knows the cops are coming and they scuttle off.”
The man said all of the incidents have involved the same sets of families arising from “social problems”.
“You’ve got people who have far too much time and are doing nothing,” he said.
“It’s the kids taking part in this as well, – they’re revving up the next generation.
“I just don’t know what the answer is.”