Teen's knife threat terror on busy road in Meir
A KNIFEMAN is being hunted by police after he threatened a teenager as she walked along a main road.
Detectives believe the same man may also have followed another woman later the same night.
The first victim, an 18-year-old woman, was walking in Weston Road, Meir, when the would-be robber threatened her with what appeared to be a craft knife.
The woman ran off and flagged down a passing car for assistance. Nothing was stolen and she was not injured in the incident which happened at about 7.50pm on Wednesday.
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At around 9.15pm the same day, a second woman, aged 38, reported that a man had followed her as she walked in the Normacot Grange Road area.
The woman voiced her concerns to officers although the man did not approach her or threaten her.
News of the incidents have left families in Meir worried.
Samantha Wilkes, a 40-year-old mother-of-one, who lives in The Moat, close to Weston Road said: "I'm genuinely shocked about this. It's the sort of thing that makes you scared to walk down the street.
"I moved here from Trentham a year ago and I've found it really quiet here.
"Muggings and robberies are not the sort of thing you expect to hear about.
"It's just good that nobody's been hurt."
Peter Lane, a welder at JCB, said he believes the road is not adequately policed.
The 59-year-old, who lives in Bentilee but goes to Weston Road regularly to visit his brother, said: "The police should show themselves a bit more.
"If there was more of a police presence then these things might not happen so often.
"I also think it's a discipline thing. Parents are not smacking their kids anymore and you're getting these thugs wandering around."
A 45-year-old father-of-two, who lives in Weston Road but preferred not to be named, said: "We don't see any disturbances really so this is not something I have any experience of.
"I have two boys, aged 15 and 20, and I trust them to look after themselves.
"But it might be different if I had daughters."
A spokesman for Staffordshire Police last night said detectives are investigating possible links between the two incidents.
The force is now appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
The man in both cases is described as white, slim, aged in his early to mid 20s, and around 5ft 10ins tall. He wore dark clothing.
Anyone with information about the man's identity, or who witnessed anyone acting suspiciously at the time of the incidents in Meir, should ring Staffordshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 682 of October 17.
Alternatively, witnesses can telephone independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Comments
by warren-lloyd
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 3:44AM
“That estate as not got a RA, and it needs one, if nothing else it would act as a contact group between the residents and the police. Anyone interested in this, contact the council member for the area. The last time it was tried, we see up a meeting and one person turned up.”