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Climate of fear after robberies
Violent muggers target wealthy women on their doorstep
WEALTHY women are living in fear following a spate of vicious attacks.
Police are struggling to cope with a rise in violent muggings targeting owners of luxury mansions on their St John’s Wood doorsteps.
Community leaders are calling for increased police presence after a mother carrying her baby was shoved to the ground and mugged for her wedding ring in Garden Road.
A passer-by stepped in to save her but was beaten about the head by the men, posing as builders in fluorescent waistcoats, and had his wristwatch stolen.
Detective Nick Osbourne said: “The callousness of the suspects is shown by their total disregard that their victim was with her baby.”
The daylight robbery is just one example of a spate of violent muggings in the Abbey Road ward.
Metropolitan police statistics reveal that for 2006/07 one in ten people living in Abbey Road ward had experienced a robbery or a theft.
Gita Patel, manager of Mystique Cuts in Violet Hill for 11 years, was last month “beaten like hell” by an opportunist gang who raided the hairdressers in March.
She said: “Five guys just walked in and tried to steal the watch from me and my client. I tried to stop them and he went crazy – he stuck his finger in my eye. I think they were high on drugs because I don’t think normal people could do such a thing.”
She added: “They know people are very rich round here – people carry thousands in their bags. If you rob someone in Kilburn what are you going to get? I know one woman who has left the area because the crime is so bad.”
Police have revealed how eight similar robberies took place in one week.
Mark Blackburn, who is standing for the Liberal Democrats in the Abbey Road Ward by-election on May 1, said: “These shocking statistics bear out their fears. Recent figures show a drop of 51 officers in Westminster in two years. This is hardly going to help in the fight against crime.”
The police have asked for anyone with information about the assault against the mother and baby on 5pm on Thurs 29th March on Garden Road or the other assaults and robberies to call 020 7321 9359.
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