Witness appeal after man robs two boys in Shrewsbury

The incident happened at Alberbury Drive, in the Sundorne area of Shrewsbury at 3.30pm on Sunday when the boys were walking home from a sports centre.

While they were in Alberbury Drive near the hairdressers, a large white van pulled up and a man got out and approached the boys in an aggressive manner – running towards them and swearing.

He grabbed the scooter from one of the boys and the other boy dropped his scooter in order to help his friend. Afraid for their safety, the boys ran off and, as they made their escape, they saw the man put their scooters into the van. A woman inside the van also shouted and swore at the boys. The van drove off in the direction of Featherbed Lane.

The man is described as white, 5ft 8ins to 5ft 9in tall, of medium build, bald, clean shaven and wearing greyish-coloured jeans and a black Puffa-style jacket.

The woman was white and wore a multi-coloured bottle hat. Both spoke with English accents.

The one scooter was a dark purple Grit “Invader” with Y-shaped handles and black grips. The other scooter was an orange-coloured Grit with orange handlebars, black rubber grips and custom gold wheels.

Detective Constable Sandy John from Shrewsbury Police said: “This was a very nasty incident and the boys were extremely frightened. This is totally unacceptable behaviour towards two youngsters just minding their own business.

“We are very keen to hear from anyone who saw the incident or saw a white van in area of Alberbury Drive or Featherbed Lane on Sunday afternoon.

“We would also like to hear from anyone who has seen the scooters or knows where they can be found.”

Anyone with information about the robbery, the location of the scooters, the couple or the van is asked to call Shrewsbury CID on the non emergency number 101 quoting incident number 413s 291213.

Alternatively, please remember that information can also be passed on anonymously by calling the independent charity, Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.