A RETIRED photographer suffered an angina attack after being pelted with snowballs.

Tom Murray, 70, who is well-known for his pictures of the Beatles when they first burst on to the scene in the early 1960s, was hit on the head as he walked near King Edward VI School in Spring Lane, Bury St Edmunds.

Mr Murray of Oakes Road said he initially thought something had fallen from a lamppost as he walked home at about 1pm on Tuesday.

He added: “I looked round and over at the playground and there were these lads pelting me with really heavy, icy snowballs. Some of them had the bottoms of their faces covered and they thought it was great fun to keep pelting me with snowballs. They were laughing and jeering.”

He added: “I had such a fright I got an angina attack and had to use my spray.”

Mr Murray, who later took himself to West Suffolk Hospital after suffering blurred vision and nausea, informed police and the school’s headteacher, Geoff Barton.

Mr Barton said that the students involved have been punished and have been told to apologise to Mr Murray, who is the sole carer of his 94-year-old mother.

He added: “A lot of staff were on duty at the school. But we were not aware that pupils had thrown a snowball over the fence. Once the gentleman concerned contacted me, we dealt with it vigorously.”

Bury St Edmunds Local Policing Commander Inspector Jane Hertzog said if anyone experiences anti-social behaviour they should contact their local Safer Neighbourhood Team by calling 101 or by dialling 999 in an emergency.