Call for public place hoodie ban

The head of a children's charity wants a ban on hoodies after she was mugged by a group of youths wearing them.

Michele Elliott, the director of Kidscape, wants young people to be banned from wearing hooded tops in public places like shopping malls.

She was attacked by a group of children in a London shopping centre after telling them off for messing around.

The kids pushed her to the ground and tried to steal her mobile phone, before she managed to chase them off.

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Dr Elliot called the police when she managed to get her phone back, but they were unable to find the attackers.

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She said: "I don't think wearing hoods is terrible. I don't think you should ban all people wearing hoods.

"But I do think that it's inappropriate when kids are wearing them to disguise their faces in public places like shopping centres. Then I think it's appropriate to say `Sorry, you can't do that'.

"Hoodies have become associated with gangs and gang-type activity.

"I don't hate youths, I don't think you should lock them up in cages, but when I see a gang coming towards me now I will cross to the other side of the street."