FOR the Slade family, Boots, their black and white cat, was a Godsend during the covid-19 lockdown.
The moggy kept the couple’s two young children occupied during the long months of isolation and his friendly, rasping purr made them all smile.
But in May this year, Boots was found dead in the street near their home in Salisbury, Wilts. Pellets fired from a catapult lay next to his lifeless body.
Now, for the first time, the family have spoken of their devastating loss - and welcomed tough new measures police have introduced to tackle anti-social behaviour.
Stacey Slade, 35, fought back tears as she recalled the joy four-year-old Boots had brought her family.
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Speaking from her home in the Bemerton Heath area of the historic city, where she and her husband Jack moved ten years ago, she said: "We decided to get Boots during the lockdown because we wanted some company for the children and our pet dog.
"He was an instant success with us all, especially our young, four-year-old daughter. When Boots was attacked and killed by those yobs we were all utterly devastated. It was such an unbelievably cruel thing to do.
“Afterwards, we couldn’t bring ourselves to tell the children what had happened to poor Boots, so instead, we told them he had died in an accident.
"We just didn't have the heart to tell them the truth because it was horrible.
“My daughter was particularly upset. She cried and cried and told us off for not taking him to the vets to 'make him better again’, as she put it. The whole episode was just so traumatic for the family.
“Obviously, we reported the incident to the police, and we were visited by officers to make a statement, but since then, we haven't heard anything further.
"We used to have Community officers on the estate, but since they closed the main Salisbury police station and moved it to Melksham, we don't see much police presence here.
"The community has a good idea who the perpetrators are. There have been problems before with them smashing windows and other acts of vandalism.
“But because the towns main police station has moved away, even if when people call them, it takes the officers up to an hour to get here and of course by then the yobs have all disappeared.”
'Yob culture'
As a result of a spate of vandalism and anti-social behaviour - including Boots’ killing - by louts in the town, Wiltshire Police and the local authority have introduced a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in Salisbury and surrounding parishes.
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This includes Laverstock and Ford, Quidhampton, Netherhampton, Wilton, Alderbury, Odstock and Coombe Bissett.
Across the entire area, the order makes it an offence to possess any catapult, slingshot or similar items capable of launching a missile and to possess any item that could be used as a missile.
My daughter was particularly upset. She cried and cried and told us off for not taking him to the vets to 'make him better again’, as she put it. The whole episode was just so traumatic for the family.
Stacey Slade
It is also an offence to refuse to surrender any such item when required by a police officer.
The police also now have powers to seize alcohol from anyone causing anti-social behaviour in the city centre.
If the drinker refuses to surrender their alcohol and continues to consume it, they could be given a £100 fine on the spot.
Failure to pay the fixed penalty notice could lead to prosecution and a fine on conviction of up to £1,000.
Local resident Connie Pam, who retired several years ago, said she has lived in Salisbury for most of her life and has noticed an escalation in recent years of what she calls “yob culture”.
She said of the recently imposed crackdown on antisocial behaviour: "It's a good job they have banned drinking in the city centre. I’m delighted.
"I know people have always liked to have a drink but these days they go over the top and start fighting.
"I find it very intimidating if I come across a bunch of drunken people wandering around the town centre with cans of beer in their hands.
"The city used to be a quiet and peaceful place to come to, but today it's very different.
"These people don't have any respect for anyone and the police don't seem to be able to stop them.
"We have thousands of visitors coming here because of the city’s rich history and significance - many of them from abroad - and I dread to think what impression they get when they come here.
"The place needs to be cleaned up before it gets worse.
"I haven't seen anyone around with catapults thank goodness, but I know a number of people have heard about it.”
Fears for pets
Chris Read, a 77-year-old retired electrician who has lived in Bemerton Heath for 37 years, says: "Times have changed so much since I was a kid. Nowadays the youths seem to stay in bed until 5pm, then they get up and start their day.
"We're big cat lovers and we heard about Boots being killed by yobs with catapults and we were very sad - for him and the lovely family who owned him.
“He was killed less than a quarter of a mile away. It’s really frightening. We've had cats living with us all our lives but nowadays you can't be sure they are going to be safe if they go outside.
"We've had four cats but we are worried for our latest one Tommy's safety, so since Boots was killed, we’ve taken to keeping him in at night.
"Because of all this, we've also had CCTV installed, and sometimes the police come round asking to view the coverage because there have been problems in the area.
"This is a big estate and most people are great neighbours and supportive of each other, but like anywhere I suppose, there are some rough areas and some bad 'un that give the place a bad reputation."
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Financier Callum Hull, 31, who is married with a toddler, said: "Like all city centres, Salisbury is full of all sorts of different people, but there are some particularly stupid ones among them, I fear.
“And that small band of trouble makers cause a disproportionate amount of problems for the rest of us.
"Most of the people here like to live a peaceful quiet life and just get on with it.
"I'm broadly in favour of the restrictions they are bringing in to make the city centre and surrounding areas safe and less intimidating.
We've had four cats but we are worried for our latest one Tommy's safety, so since Boots was killed, we’ve taken to keeping him in at night
Chris Read
"You can often see people drinking cans of larger outside Sainsbury's in the the centre, even as early as eleven in the morning.
"As for catapults, I've not seen them in the town centre thank goodness, but i have heard that in the suburbs, the yobs think the buses are nice big bright red targets for them to attack."
Ray Smith, aged 80, who is a retired Merchant Navy seaman and has lived in Salisbury for 30 years.
He said: "I've never seen people with catapults myself but I have read in the paper that people have attacked swans and things.
"They recently attacked someone’s cat and killed it. It doesn't bear thinking about how callous these people are.
"I wasn’t a perfect kid by any means, but I'd be mortified if I killed anything by mistake let alone deliberately.
"Drinking is another thing. You often see groups of people drinking by the library in the town centre, then it often gets stupid with fighting and shouting abuse at people.
"The local alcoholics are a problem here and the sooner they clear the streets of them the better. This lot are a different generation from mine. There is no respect for anyone or anything."
Corley Gale, 45, and her friend Lenda Cooper, 73, who drives a mobility scooter, live in the area.
Corley said: ”We love to meet up when we can and catch up on the gossip, like we all do I suppose.
"Four or five years ago it was great. There were no problems here. It was a great place to live but nowadays you don't know what you might run into.
"If you'd been here 20 minutes earlier, you'd have seen a bunch of drunks arguing and fighting.
"Someone must have called the cops but when they turned up, they just dispersed and went away. No one was arrested or anything like that.”
Lenda added: ”It's the threat of violence that is so frightening now. I've lived here 45 years and I've never known it so bad.
"Recently a bloke jumped out on a friend of mine and threatened them with a catapult. She said it was terrifying.
"Fortunately someone else turned up and they ran away.”
Corley said: "My partner had a catapult for fishing because he used it to bait the fish, but since all this happened he's put it away for good.”
'Tackling antisocial behaviour'
Councillor Dominic Muns, cabinet member for environment, said: “Our thanks goes to everyone who took part in the consultations on the proposed order for Salisbury.
“Putting a PSPO in place on an area is not ever done lightly, but in this instance the response was overwhelmingly in favour of it being brought in.
“We want our residents to be reassured that we take anti-social behaviour seriously, a key priority in our business plan is to safeguard our residents.
"Once the enforcement of the order begins, we hope that it will help to act as a deterrent and reduce the instances of anti-social behaviour that are being seen currently in the city and surrounding areas.”
Inspector Tina Osborn, from the Salisbury community policing team, said, “We have worked closely with our partners in delivering this PSPO.
"I would like to thank the local residents and businesses for engaging in the consultation process and pleased to see that this action was in the main supported.
“Tackling anti-social behaviour associated with drinking alcohol in public places and the use of catapults or such items, is a key priority for the police and this PSPO will be one tool for officers to use to deal with such issues.”
