Please Beware: Loiterer - Overhill Road / Melford Road / Lordship Lane

[Laur]

During one evening last week 2 young girls were followed up Overhill Road by a man who suddenly saw them and diverted his route to follow them.

Yesterday evening I saw a similiar looking man walking up Overhill Road from Lordship Lane, where he suddenly stopped in the direction that he was going, slowly crossed over and appeared to loiter without purpose as he looked down the alleyway that links Overhill Road to Melford Road. He then retraced his walk back to Lordship Lane in the direction that he orginally came from.

Later yesterday evening a similar looking man was seen glaring into a female friends car as she was parked at the entrance of the Melford Road alley waiting for her to exit the car, which she didn't.

Annyway even though he hasn't yet done anything, he could be an opportunitist.

He has been reported to 101 but I thought that I would let everyone know as I would feel awful if something did happen x

Description: Black guy, 5ft 8 - 6ft tall, age 20-30s, grey hooded top with another top over, dark trousers & on another day green trousers - Sorry not much of a description!

[UncleBen]

Thanks for giving the advice. May I ask what the Police response was to the information that was provided?

[fl0wer]

Someone with a dark brown skin and speaking accented English as Indian people do, but otherwise similar to the above, suddenly came and sat next to me on a park bench at the Horniman last Friday evening about 8.30 pm.

I had been enjoying the evening sunshine and the fagsmoke and attention was unwanted so I fled. He was very nervous and jumped up and went away too, I was worried he might follow me home but he did not. I assumed he was after a pick-up.

I think it most likely this is someone with mental health going awry, lonely rather than a sex pest, but the two go together sometimes.

[JohnL]

South London (especially) is strange like that.

Many free seats on the bus .. and someone will sit right next to you.

That's not how I was brought up, so find it strange :) (personal space and all that)

[the-e-dealer]

Black Guy 5 8 20-30 in a dark hoodie. Get the Wicker!

[alice]

so flower, someone sat next to you on a bench then got up and walked away.

scarey

[Clare11]

I witnessed a mugging last Sunday evening at Langton Rise/ Wood Vale corner. Police were called etc and the suspect I saw fits the description mentioned above. Happened just inside the cemetery gates.

Poor victim was shaken after being mugged for his phone but sounds like it could be the same guy.

Be wary.

[fl0wer]

alice Wrote:

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

> so flower, someone sat next to you on a bench then

> got up and walked away.

>

> scarey

Yes Alice, please don't write scornfully on this as the person I described had an obviously intrusive manner and shaky nerves.

Any one else, including you and your children I trust, would have instinctively sensed trouble.

[Queequeg]

Somebody tried to rob the general store on Wood Vale on Monday night too. I don't know whether he matched the above description. They fought him off but it sounded pretty violent. Sounds like a veritable crime wave.

[dimples]

Thankyou for making us aware .

[Laur]

You're welcome dimples, 101 have given a reference number for it so that at least it's recorded in case anything does happen in the future.

P.S Sorry about the vague description but it's better than no description at all. (Also it was by this vague description & the location that he was hanging out at that the 3 different women recognised him from).

[UncleBen]

So, to recap - very suspicious behaviour rightfully reported. Violent crimes in the same area by someone matching the description. Still no police action! Maybe they are travelling from camberwell?! Or maybe they don't give a stuff, and we're all on our own. Be careful out there, people, no one to help.

[buddug]

Alice wrote: 'so flower, someone sat next to you on a bench then got up and walked away.

scarey.'

Well, sneer all you like Alice. However, it is usually blatently apparent when something is not right. As flower said, "attention was unwanted". She doesn't specify, but why should she. I've had it myself. Person being nervy and strange and, more importantly,intrusive. It makes you feel you just want to get away. And when you do, you're relieved. But if, when you get up, so do they, you wonder what they're going to do next. All very rum, but when you get home you feel grateful. Maybe he's just lonely, maybe he's a pest. But why hang around to find out which one.

[alice]

maybe so but from description had nothing at all to do with actual criminal events round woodvale/ overhill