FOUR yobs who hurled abuse at a man as he lay dying near the home he was trying to protect, walked free from court . Ken Arrowsmith, 56, collapsed in a back street off Travers Street, Horwich, in March, as he chased youths who had thrown stones, sweets and CDs at his house. Four youths, aged between 13 and 15, and part of the gang who had shouted obscenities at the former Horwich fireman as he died, pleaded guilty to public order offences.

But all walked free and, as he passed sentence at Bolton youth court, chairman of the bench Norman Morlidge, said he knew the decision would anger people.

He said: "We take the view this is a serious case, a serious offence of anti-social behaviour which resulted tragically in serious consequences, in that one person died. I hope that sinks into you all.

"He died trying to protect his property from a gang of yobs, which is what you all were.

"That behaviour, going over a long period of time, caused considerable harrassment and distress to local residents, playing your little game -- some game.

"We're told you are now remorseful of your actions on that particular night. If that is the case we trust we will never see you again before these courts.

"In sentencing you we have to take regard that our powers of punishment are very much limited for the offence for which you are charged "The sentence which we are about to pass will seem to the public to be wholly inappropriate in all the circumstances where someone died." Father of-five Mr Arrowsmith, of Chorley New Road, died in the arms of his wife Betty.

He had suffered a heart attack as he chased the gang who had thrown objects at his door and windows.

It prompted a huge police investigation, which culminated yesterday when the four youths who all admitted being in the large gang, appeared at Bolton youth court on public order offences.

They pleaded guilty to behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress with the case against a fifth -- a 14-year-old Horwich boy -- being discharged when the prosecution offered no evidence.

Three walked free, each given a 12 month conditional discharge and ordered to pay a total of £225 legal costs between them.

A fourth -- a Breightmet girl, aged 15 -- was adjourned until January 17 for reports to be prepared. Earlier the court heard that the four teenagers -- none of whom can be named for legal reasons -- had been part of a gang which had blighted residents in the Chorley New Road area of Horwich.

Maisie Burke, prosecuting, said Mr Arrowsmith had confronted the yobs on the evening of March 3.

A neighbour's van had also been hit by a CD, one of a number of complimentary discs taken from an Elf Service Station where the gang often congregated, magistrates heard.

Ms Burke revealed that Mr Arrowsmith had caught one young girl by the scruff of the neck and his wife had slapped her across the face, before the gang confronted the couple and shouted abuse.

The prosecutor continued: "A teenage girl kicked out at Mr Arrowsmith who shortly afterwards collapsed on the street. He was suffering a heart attack "During this time, your worships, the obscenities continued. Unfortunately Mr Arrowsmith subsequently died from the heart attack he suffered on that occasion."

The court had heard that the youths had thrown objects at houses in a spate of attacks, to try to prompt residents to chase them.

Each defendant had amitted to being part of the gang on the night that Mr Arrowsmith collapsed but the Crown accepted none could have anticipated what would have happened to him.

The former leading fireman, who had 20 years' service in the brigade and who was also a grandfather-of- four, had complained to police about the gang for months before his death.

He had also written to the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester, David Wilmot, criticising the lack of police patrols in his neighbourhood. 'The sentence will seem to the public to be wholly inappropriate in the circumstances where someone died...' 'He died trying to protect his property from a gang of yobs, which is what you all were...'