HELSTON residents saw police with Tasers hunting a man with a metal pole and plank of wood who fled through their gardens following an alleged attack on a teenage holidaymaker.

Police said they received several calls on Saturday night about a man “in and out of people’s gardens, carrying a plank of wood or a baseball bat,” after he was earlier reported to have acted oddly and alegedly assaulted a 15-year-old in Trengrouse Way.

The alleged victim and his 12-year-old sister had been walking back from a family meal at a restaurant when he saw the man allegedly staring at the girl, and stepped forward to ask him what he was doing.

The man is then alleged to have pushed the boy to the floor, causing cuts and bruises on his knee and elbow, before running off, leaving the girl unharmed.

An eyewitness reported seeing four police cars, and officers “running around with Tasers drawn”, and a police spokesperson confirmed that firearms officers, dogs, and a helicopter were sent to the scene, although the man was not caught that evening.

The spokesperson said: “An area search was carried out. At least four reports were received from various residents  saying a man was in their garden.”

They added that they knew the identity of the man “from local knowledge.”

Police believe the same man was involved in an incident on Sunday evening, when a woman in Wendron chased off a man who had gained access to her home and taken milk from the fridge.

  • A 27-year-old man from Falmouth was arrested early on Monday morning and taken into custody in Camborne on suspicion of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, possession of an offensive weapon, and burglary.