WHEELCHAIR-BOUND pensioner Brian Clark could do nothing but sit and watch when his wife was assaulted and puppy kicked into the air in an Ilkley park.

The couple from Sunset Drive, Ilkley, drove to Riverside Gardens at about 5.45pm on Saturday and Mr Clark sat in the car while his wife Margaret walked their dog, Rip.

After a short walk Mrs Clark let the seven-month-old pup off the lead and when it ran towards two men and a toddler entering the playground one of the men kicked the dog away.

"She flew into the air yelping. She was only being friendly and wouldn't have hurt anybody and certainly didn't deserve to be kicked," said 63-year-old Mr Clark.

Mrs Clark ran over to protect her dog and shouted: "Leave her alone, she's only a puppy.

"The man pushed me away and started swearing at me and calling me names. I told him the dog was just being friendly and wanted to play with the child," she said.

Mr Clark, who has been confined to his wheelchair for the last 14 years because of back and stomach problems, said: "It was awful. All I could do was sit and watch what happened with horror as the man kicked our little dog into the air.

"My wife's immediate reaction was to run over and try to protect our dog but the man pushed her away and hurled abuse at her. Neither of them deserved this treatment, I just wish I could have done something to help them. I'm really distressed about it."

After the incident the two men and toddler walked away down Middleton Road and Mr Clark tried to follow them in his wheelchair.

"My wife helped me into my chair as I was intent on catching up with the man who attacked them," he said.

"I was really angry and wanted to give him a piece of my mind but I couldn't catch up with him."

Mrs Clark was unhurt in the incident but the dog, a border terrier Jack Russell cross, was sick the next day.

"We've been very upset by this. My husband isn't very well at the moment, he only has one tenth of his stomach left because of illness, and the incident has made him worse," said Mrs Clark who is her husband's full time carer.

"I walk the dog down at Riverside Gardens a lot and sometimes we go up to the Moors. Nothing like this has ever happened before. People normally love our dog and she has hundreds of friends everywhere and everyone wants to adopt her".

The couple reported the incident at Ilkley police station and gave a descripton of the two men.

Inspector Alison Bennett said: "We have insufficient evidence to take action against anyone. Had Mr and Mrs Clark known who it was then we would have gone round to talk to him about it."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.