A GANG of thugs threatened a nine-year-old-girl before stealing her personal CD player and smashing it in front of her.

Sarah Doherty was in Sedgefield Park, County Durham, when a group of five boys, aged about 13 to 15, approached and threatened to hurt her before throwing the CD player to the ground and running away.

Yesterday, police presented Sarah with a new CD player and CDs and made an appeal for anyone with information to come forward.

Sarah said: "It is very kind of the police to give me a new CD player. But I don't ever want to see those boys again."

Sarah raised the alarm on Sunday of last week, at about 2pm, when she had been with her friend in the park.

Her father, Paul, of Eden Drive, Sedgefield, said: "She was very tearful, very scared by what happened."

"I have lived here all my life and I love Sedgefield, but this needs to be stamped out.

"They threatened to hurt my daughter. No parents want this to happen to their child."

PC Keith Todd got the new CD player from the Co-op in the high street which donated it free.

He said: "Sarah has been through a lot and deserves the CD player. We are taking this crime very seriously."

Anyone with information is asked to call the police on (0845) 6060365 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.