Pokemon playing girl "threatened by gang" and called "scum" at Doncaster's Mansion House

A female Pokemon Go player has revealed how she was reportedly threated and called "scum" by a gang outside Doncaster's Mansion House as tensions over the new gaming craze boiled over.
By The Newsroom
Published 18th Jul 2016, 14:43 BST
Updated 25th Aug 2016, 18:00 BST
A female Pokemon player was reportedly threatened outside Doncaster Mansion House.A female Pokemon player was reportedly threatened outside Doncaster Mansion House.
A female Pokemon player was reportedly threatened outside Doncaster Mansion House.

The girl, who we are choosing not to name, said that she had been approached by a group outside the building in the High Street earlier today and was given "abuse" and labelled "scum."

The game, which involves players searching for virtual reality Pokemon characters in the real world using their mobile phones, has gripped the globe with players forming teams and using well known landmarks as "gyms" to train their characters to fight others.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Posting in a Facebook group devoted to the game in Doncaster, she wrote: "Be careful on (sic) town centre today. I had three guys on Team Valor give me some right s*** this morning over Mansion House gym. Not happy getting abuse over it."

"They comes walking up saying its their gym and saying I'm blue scum. 3 adult lads against me, its uncalled for."

A player in the Pokemon Go Doncaster Facebook group, where players can swap tips and share sightings and which now has more than 1,000 members said: "3 adult male reds apparently giving blue team verbal abuse today at the mansion house. It's a game guys. We may have rivalry but abuse is too far. It's a game. Not a war."

The app, which lets players roam a map using their phone's GPS location to find and catch Pokemon characters to train and battle, has already become a huge hit in the USA, Australia and Germany and now Doncaster players are getting in on the action.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The main aim of the mobile phone game is to catch Pokemon - pocket monsters - which pop up along the way. The game provides an augmented reality experience, using the smartphone's camera to provide a live view of the world, with Pokemon superimposed.

Any creatures caught can be used in battle against other players at Pokemon gyms - also real-world landmarks. The Doncaster Free Press office in Printing Office Street is reportedly a Pokestop - where players can stock up on essential items used in the game.

Doncaster Council has organised a Pokemon Picnic on July 30 which will see players descend on Lakeside to search for the cuddly virtual reality critters.

The council's chief executive Jo Miller is among those hooked on the game, at the weekend tweeting a picture of her first monster find adding:"You've got me at it!"

The free day will get underway at 11am at Doncaster Lakeside (Keepmoat Stadium entrance).