Teenage girls threaten to kill nine-year-old in street attack

The girl muggers, who are believed to have struck twice within ten minutes, grabbed the boy from his mother as they walked home from church through George Square.

A stiletto heel was held to the terrified youngster's head as the pair demanded cash from 34-year-old Milja Radaric.

The girls snatched nine-year-old Mina after terrified student Ms Radaric gave in to their initial demands and gave the teenagers 1. She said: "One of the girls then grabbed my son by the hair and pulled him back holding the shoe to his head.

"The heel was only about an inch away from his eyes.

"I tried to grab him but then one of the girls punched me in the side of the head and grabbed my bag.

"They kept saying that they would kill my son if I didn't hand over my bag."

Miss Radovic said that the two girls could not have been any older than 17.

"We were attacked by children," she said. "I was not frightened for myself, I was frightened for my son.

"Who could possibly think about harming a nine-year-old boy? After the attack I feel as though I'm not safe in this city."

The attack happened at 9.40pm on Sunday.

Just ten minutes earlier a 25-year-old woman was punched by two girls and had her handbag ripped from her in Buccleuch Place.

Police today appealed for help to track down the pair who carried out the attacks while the area was busy with Festival revellers.

Police are now studying CCTV footage in the hope that the attackers were captured on camera.

A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police said: "The woman was walking along George Square with her eight-year-old son when the terrifying attack occurred.

"It would have been quite a safe time to walk in this area of the city as there would have been quite a lot of people around.

"This attack was terrifying for both the young boy, whom the girls threatened to kill, and his mother.

"They only got away with a 1 coin. They dumped the handbag and when it was handed in to the police nothing had been stolen from it.

"It appears that the two girls had been drinking."

The spokesman added: "We would like to hear from anybody who may have been in George Square on Sunday night who remembers seeing this attack."

Both attackers are described as being aged between 16 and 17.

The one who held the shoe to the boy's head was about 5ft, medium build with long fair hair.

She was wearing a grey blouse with a black jacket and black high-heel shoes. The other attacker was 5ft with short brown hair and was wearing a black top, grey trousers and dark trainers.

In a similar attack last month, a young mother was attacked and robbed by two women as she pushed her baby in a pram along the city's Gracemount Drive.

The 21-year-old woman was forced to the ground while the pair threatened to harm her baby and demanded money.

The terrified mother handed over a small amount of cash and the two women fled.