Police issue warning following street robberies in Madeley

Both robberies have occurred in Madeley and as well as appealing for information about the two incidents, Detective Inspector Billy Scott - from CID at Malinsgate Police Station - has also warned any individuals responsible for this type of offence that they will be targeted by local police.

The first of the two robberies occurred on Russell Road on Saturday 29 December.

At just after 11.30pm, a short time after the victim – a 17-year-old woman – had withdrawn money from the cashpoint at the Tesco supermarket with two friends, an unknown man on a pushbike approached her from behind as she made her way through the underpass en route to the KFC restaurant.

The man immediately pulled out a knife and threatened the victim and told her not to move. He then quickly stole a Blackberry mobile phone and around £12 in cash off the victim before fleeing the scene on his blue mountain bike in the direction of the Meadow Lea flats.

The offender is described as being white, around 5ft 10inches tall, as having a medium build and as being dressed all in black including a black hooded top.

However, perhaps most significantly, the offender was also wearing a sleeveless high visibility top over his hooded top.

Please call police in Telford if you have any information about these robberiesThe second incident police would like information about occurred on Legges Way on Sunday 5 January.

Sometime between 6.45pm and 7pm, as the victim – a 16-year-old male youth – made his way home from Telford shopping centre on foot along the Silkn Way, he was grabbed from behind by an unknown man as he turned off towards Madeley town centre.

The man pulled the victim to the ground and kicked him several times before grabbing the Samsung Galaxy tablet computer and headphones he was using. The offender then made good his escape on a push bike and fled the scene in the direction of the town centre.

The man responsible for this robbery is described as being white, around 5ft 10inches tall, with a round face and as having light brown, short or shaved hair.

Speaking about these two offences, and his continuing concerns about robbery offences in Telford, Detective Inspector Billy Scott said:

“We are very keen to hear from anyone who may have information about either of these incidents and anyone who feels they can help our investigations is asked to call 101, quoting incident numbers 686S 291213 for the first robbery, or 489S 050114 for the second one.

“We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who is aware of any individual who regularly uses a push bike in the Madeley area who may have links to these two offences. Although we are keeping an open mind, we do believe there is a strong possibility that the same offender may be responsible for both robberies.

“I would like to take this opportunity to remind people that we often see an increase in robbery offences post Christmas, as potential offenders are aware that people may have new gadgets in their possession they could be carrying. Please do all you can to use any gadgets discreetly and try not to draw too much attention to yourself, especially if you’re walking through secluded areas where you may be vulnerable.

“I would warn potential offenders that robbery remains a priority for us and that individuals responsible will be dealt with extremely robustly when they are caught. We will also be targeting those individuals who handle any stolen goods as many offences are carried out by robbers who already have a plan as to how they will sell on the items they steal.

“I would ask anyone who has suspicions about any individuals involved in this type of criminality to call the police immediately so we can investigate them. I’d also remind people that if you’d rather leave information without identifying yourself, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 rather than calling us on our usual 101 number.”