Woman Robbed At Knifepoint

Bedfordshire Police are appealing for witnesses after a 25 year old woman was robbed in an alleyway in Leighton Buzzard on Saturday night.

The incident happened at around 9pm as the victim was walking along the alleyway which connects West Side to West Street in the town. The woman was approached by three offenders – two men and one woman – who grabbed her from behind before holding a knife to her throat and demanding she handed over her property. The victim was forced to the floor and told to empty her handbag. One of the offenders then put her belongings into a black carrier bag. The victim was then told to put her coat over her head and wait five minutes as the offenders fled the area.

Although the woman did not suffer any injuries during the attack, she has been left extremely distressed by the incident.

Detective Constable Thomas Hamm, who is investigating the incident, is keen to hear from anyone who was in the West Side or West Street area at the time of the robberies and may have seen anything suspicious either before or after the attack.

DC Hamm said: “This was a frightening and upsetting experience for the victim who twice had a knife held to her throat and it is vital that we find the people responsible as quickly as possible and stop them from committing any further offences. I’d like to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time of the robberies or anyone else who may have information – however small or insignificant they think it is – that could help us. Don’t dismiss your information as unimportant – even tiny details which don’t seem relevant now might become useful later on in the investigation.”

The first offender – who was carrying a knife - is described as a black female, around 25 years old, of slim build and wearing a leather jacket, black leggings with shorts on top. The second offender was a white male, aged in his mid to late 30s, of skinny build, wearing a baseball cap and spoke with an Irish accent. The third offender was also a white male, slim build and wearing a dark scarf across his face.

If you have information relating to this incident, contact DC Hamm, in confidence, on 01582 394498, the non-emergency number 101, or text information to 07786 200011.

Alternatively contact independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111, or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.