Two Robberies in Middlesbrough
Both happened on Friday 30th September
Middlesbrough’s Volume Crime Unit is currently investigating two reports of robbery which occurred on Friday 30th September 2016. These offences both happened in the vicinity of Corporation Road and Fry Street in central Middlesbrough
The first offence was at 4.50pm. A 28 year old woman was walking on Gurney Street to the rear of Corporation Road to her vehicle, which was parked in a private car park.
She got into her car and saw a man approach her. She describes him as a white male, 5’6” to 5’8” tall, of medium build, and aged in his late twenties to early thirties.
He had a shaven head which was nearing being bald. He was wearing a black t-shirt and blue jeans.
The man had a green small ‘stubby’ type bottle in his hand. He moved around to the driver’s side of her vehicle, engaged her in conversation then grabbed her car keys out of the ignition. He then demanded her phone in return for the keys. The woman got out of her car and demanded her keys, snatching them back from him and sustaining a hand injury in the process. She was treated for this at hospital, then discharged.
At around 6.20pm the same day, a 24 year old student was having a cigarette in the Corporation Road/ Fry Street area.
A man described as white, in his mid-late twenties, 6’ 1” tall, of heavy build and wearing a grey/blue t-shirt and grey jogging bottoms approached him.
He had two tattoos, one on the back of his neck the other on his left upper arm. He had tobacco stained fingers and decaying teeth. The man had a conversation with the student asking for a cigarette before stealing his mobile, demanding money for it.
In fear, the student withdrew money from the HSBC cash machine handing it over in return for his phone. He describes the man as having a ‘stubby’ type bottle.
Det Sgt Louise Sproson said:
“At present we are following several lines of enquiry. The two offences have some similarities but we are keeping an open mind.
I would like to urge members of the public who may have witnessed either of the offences to come forward. The descriptions of the offender(s) are very good and someone must know who they are.
Any information will be treated with the strictest of confidence. In addition I would like to reassure members of the public that these type of offences don’t occur very often. Local Neighbourhood Officers have been tasked to conduct extra patrols in this area and I would ask people working or living in that area to be vigilant, taking the usual safety precautions- and please report any matters to the police. “