THREE teenagers have been banned from fishing on the Heath pond for life after their schoolboy prank ended up injuring a toddler. The trio has also been banned by Petersfield Angling Club for five years after tying sharp fishing braid at high tension across a footpath bordering Sussex Road. And although it was at shin height and designed to trip adults, it resulted in a young girl being cut as she walked with her family on the Heath in July. Andy Reed, vice-chairman of Petersfield Angling Club, said the braid -– when tensioned – had a similar effect to cheese wire and that the club had taken a tough stance on the incident. He told The Herald: "I don't like to think what could have happened if it was higher up. "We do have a strict disciplinary ruling within the club, and anything that brings the club in to disrepute we have got to act on." Mr Reed said the boys had already been told to take the line down by bailiffs earlier in the day.. He added: "We don't like to discipline juniors, but we felt that this was such a serious enough incident that we had to do something about it. "They won't be allowed to fish the Heath again as this is such a public area and it was such a serious incident." Police were called, but no arrests were made.
