Vigilante mum takes on park bike robbers
People demand police action after a series of vicious attacks
AFURIOUS community is demanding police take action after parents turned vigilante to tackle vicious bike robbers in a spate of terrifying attacks.
The gang has repeatedly targeted children riding in and around Thornfield Park in Heaton Mersey. At least six bikes have been stolen in just days and there have been numerous attempted robberies.
Priestnall School and St Winifred’s Primary have sent letters to parents urging them to tell chidren to avoid the park for the time being.
One mum said she was forced to turn detective to track down the muggers after she claimed police told her they ‘didn’t have the resources’ to act.
Her 13-year-old son fell victim to the hooligans, who bent back his fingers and threatened to stab him.
Within hours, his parents had identified the addresses of suspects in Burnage and got three stolen bikes back.
The mum, who asked not to be named, said: “Theft of bikes has been going on in the area for a couple of months, but from sheds and the like.
“Now it has become robbery with small, vulnerable boys targeted. My son was playing football inside the basketball cage at the park on Friday at about 6.20pm.
“He and has friend had taken their bikes inside. About 12 boys came in some on bikes - others riding pillion.
“One of them said ‘give us a go.’ When he put his hand on his bike and said ‘no,’ they bent his fingers back, threatened to ‘bite his face off’ and stab him.”
“Eventually we found out one of the bikes had already been sold. We got an address and it was a man who had bought it for £30 he handed it over and it was my son’s.”
The woman and her husband kept hunting until well after midnight and retrieved two more bikes.
She added: “We had dialled 999 and reported the robbery to police. We gave them a name and address of a suspect, but they said they didn’t have the resources to check it out.”
The yobs stole her son’s £450 Carrera bike and his friend’s Decathlon B’Twin, worth £200. Three bikes were stolen on Friday, one on Saturday and a fifth on Sunday. Another was taken on Monday from a boy on his way to Priestnall.
In another incident on Tuesday morning two members of the public grabbed hold of two suspected robbers at the Mauldeth Road entrance to the park and called the police. Unfortunately officers did not get there quickly enough and the pair left.
Stockport MP Ann Coffey said: “The police are anxious to identify the young people who are committing these completely unacceptable offences. This is a form of bullying and will only stop once those responsible have been arrested. We need to know who they are. What the mother did was great - but she can’t arrest them.”
Heatons North councillor David Sedgwick said: “I have received several e-mails of concern about the situation and social media is awash with reports of violence and youths claiming to be carrying weapons which could cause physical injury or kill.
“I would like to know what is being done to protect residents of the Heatons.”
Insp Steve Gilbertson said that five robberies had been reported to police between Friday and Sunday.
“Threats of violence were made but no weapons were used. However it was traumatic for the victims.”
He said extra patrols of uniformed and plain clothed officers would be deployed in the area.