Student Attacked By Shovel-Wielding Maniac

Docile Durham turned into a scene from a horror movie for a Van Mildert student on Tuesday evening when a coked-up man armed with half a shovel chased her up Claypath.

The terrified second year student noticed the “suspicious” man follow her at around 6.30pm holding what was thought to be a baseball bat but was later confirmed to be a snow shovel recently distributed by Durham City Council broken in half.

With alarm bells ringing she darted through a steady stream of traffic to the other side of the road, but the intoxicated man followed in hot pursuit.

In desperation she knocked on house windows and doors, only for no one to answer.

With the unstable man closing in, the damsel in distress passed a student and together they ran up the hill to find an ambulance fortunately parked at the top.

Police were called and the man was arrested at Gilesgate roundabout within minutes.

The shocked student said she never would have expected such a horrifying experience in Durham. “I honestly never felt in that much danger in my life. I’ve been to the darkest places all over Asia and never felt unsafe. I cannot believe this would happen here,” she told Palatinate.

Police investigations are continuing.