Case shelved for woman who had her jaw broken by riot yobs

A couple who felt abandoned by police after being attacked by thugs in the August riots have been told that their case has been shelved.

Chris Savva and trainee teacher Alice Youngman say police did not do enough to catch two yobs who threw a brick at them, breaking Alice's jaw.

But two days after talking to the Standard last week, Mr Savva, 32, was astonished to receive an email saying all lines of enquiry had been exhausted.

The couple were attacked in Walthamstow by two hooded youths on bicycles one night during the disorder one night. After a confrontation over riding their cycles on the pavement, one of the youths threw a brick which hit Miss Youngman, 28, in the face. The injury left her needing major dental surgery and too frightened to go out at night.

The couple felt they had little contact with detectives. But Inspector Michelle Peters denied the case had been dropped. "Merely all lines of enquiry are exhausted," she said.

Mr Savva said: "I do not think there was much respect for us as victims."

On his appointment the new Met Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe pledged to launch Total Policing, aimed at fighting criminals and helping victims of crime. In one interview he expressed concern that officers were "screening out" cases that were too difficult to solve.