Bike mugging in Firemans Alley

[slater]

My 12 year old son was mugged for his bike at 8.05am this morning in Fireman's Alley at the junction with Lordship Lane.

The thief was sitting on the BT Exchange wall as he cycled past, ran up behind and pulled him off his bike.

He was black, 16/17 years old, hairy top lip, approx. 5'8" tall, wearing a mid grey hoodie, dark grey tracksuit bottoms with two black stripes running down the seam of each leg. My son phoned the police who drove him around but of course the scum had gone to ground.

He recalls the same guy was hanging around the junction of Upland Road and Lordship Lane on Tuesday morning at about 8am.

That's near the bus stop so you may have seen him.

If you have any info please notify the cops 020 7378 1212. Crime reference (CAD1874 / 1 APR 10)

Bike was a blue Giant Rock same as the one in the link but with a backrack and LED's in the pedals.

Cheers

[steveo]

I can see that wall from my window. I'll get the binoculars out. I've had two bikes nicked from around here and one was a Giant so I feel the pain.

Good luck

[Domitianus]

Where is Fireman's Alley please?

[lilolil]

It is the alley/passage that leads from Lordship Lane Estate to Dulwich common. It starts inbetween LLE ad BT exchange in Lordship Lane and comes out close to Dulwich Park.

[tommyk2000]

If I see that guy I'll apprehend him in the face.

I was mugged for my bike at that age and it wasn't nice.

Much sympathy.

[louisiana]

lilolil Wrote:

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> It is the alley/passage that leads from Lordship

> Lane Estate to Dulwich common. It starts inbetween

> LLE ad BT exchange in Lordship Lane and comes out

> close to Dulwich Park.

Correction: it leads from Lordship Lane (not LL estate) to Dulwich Common, with entrance onto the park.

If you lived where I live (NOT LL Estate), you would use it to access the park, whether walking or on a bike.

[lilolil]

Correction? I said that it begins in Lordship Lane, inbetween Lordship Lane Esate and BT exchange,

I know because I have lived in the area for more than 50 years! My Dad lived in a flat next to Firemans alley for 30 years!!!! And yes, you can access Dulwich Park from Firemans Alley.

[SteveT]

Go straight down to asda they are selling new bikes with 18 gears and centre pull brakes for ?50.

[citizenED]

Really sorry to hear that, slater. I use that path all the time with my little ones - shame that it looks like some "targetting" going on. Was your son on the way to school?

[cmck83]

That's not far away from the end of Barry Road that someone said someone chased him for his bike recently. I wonder if it is the same person? Seems to be a lot of muggings and bike thefts down that end at the moment! :(

[minder]

Steve T - not very good advice considering the crime! If you'd been on the receiving end I'm sure you would'nt be so complacent!

[ruffers]

SteveT Wrote:

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> Go straight down to asda they are selling new

> bikes with 18 gears and centre pull brakes for

> ?50.

Not top quality, be a bit wary. There was a bit of a scream up about these a few weeks ago iirc?

[Horsebox]

ruffers Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> SteveT Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Go straight down to asda they are selling new

> > bikes with 18 gears and centre pull brakes for

> > ?50.

>

> Not top quality, be a bit wary. There was a bit of

> a scream up about these a few weeks ago iirc?

You get what you pay for.

Not worth wasting your hard-earned on a ?50 bicycle shaped object, IMVHO.

[copleston_charlie]

Sorry to hear about the mugging, sounds nasty, hope he gets over it and doesn't take it personally.

In other news, avoid the ?50 'biked shaped objects' - http://www.bikemonkey.net/?p=7169

[Musowriter]

I did see a boy fitting that description hanging around the LL/Upland Rd junction on Tuesday morning, and felt quite wary of him, having been the victim of a violent mugging a few years ago, carried out by a group of youths hanging around that bus stop on a Saturday evening. I immediately felt guilty for being suspicious - but now I know my instinct was probably correct. Sorry I can't add any more details though, as I was avoiding looking too closely in case I attracted his attention. I do feel so sorry for your son, and angry on his behalf - a 12-year-old ought to be able to cycle around an area like this independently and safely in daylight hours.

[BelowtheBelt]

Hmnn, this is all rather sad but has me very curios about something. I recently was looking for a cheap second hand peddle-around on Gumtree ... and there is some guy on there who is listing a rather unusual number of bikes for sale in the Dulwich area ( do a quick search at Gumtree and you'll find him ... goes by the name of 'Ian' according to the list ). I recently called the number that was listed and got a rather odd chap answering who was very evasive about answering any questions about the bikes being sold in terms of their history and sounded somewhat decidedly 'street'. Might be of help to you, or then again noe at all ? Either way, I am very sorry to hear that you boy had his bike taken by such pond-life !

The Estate right next to Fireman's Alley does have some very well know to the police unsavoury hoodlums living in there ... wouldn't surprise me if the shyt concerned actually lived in the place ( 'spitting on their own doorstep' means nothing to these idiots ! ).

[mazza7103]

a horrible incident slater. i hope your son is not too shaken up. thanks on behalf of everyone who lives in the area for reporting it.

[peckhamside]

I would endorse the advice about checking Gumtree, I had a bike stolen and saw a very suspicious advert for the same bike on Gumtree the next day but blew it be not noting the ad reference, I did report to Gumtree who took the ad down at once which I guess makes the crime less easy to profit from.

[Huggers]

could you inspect the bike for sale and then if it's yours, tell the police?

[ianr]

>could you inspect the bike for sale and then if it's yours, tell the police?

Do remember that bike frames usually have a unique serial number stamped on them somewhere, usually underneath the bottom bracket (position 1 in this pic) ime http://iapetesting.gomodesign.com/TipsAndTricks/BicycleSerialNumbers/index.html. A bit of 'smart water' or equivalent in a couple of locations is also a good idea.

slater, thanks for giving good details of the incident - time, place, method, person, etc. I'm sure this sort of intelligence helps.

[MissM]

I think you should put up posters along the alley with the details! It will warn other people and let the little sh*t know he's been seen and reported! x

[slater]

Thanks to everyone for the kind thoughts, posts and PM's, a little update but you'll have to read between the lines.

Just 48 hours after the incident we were requested to make a short visit to Peckham Police station,

and as a direct result Southwark Police have climbed to the top of our Christmas card list.

That's all for the moment but I'll update again asap.