Phone robberies up in Ravenscourt Park, Hammersmith & Fulham, resident says ‘it’s an affluent area for opportunists to operate in’

Three people were mugged in six hours as the number of – reported robberies triple, writes Tom Campbell.

The muggings, which were not reported to police, took place around Ravenscourt Park on the evening of Thursday, April 25.

A 14-year-old boy was allegedly attacked by two men on a moped in Ravenscourt Park Square near the Goldhawk Road crossing at around 5.15pm.

The two men grabbed the boy and ordered him to hand over his mobile phone as well as his pass code.

The boy’s mother, Amanda Back, said: “I have a feeling it was just pot luck, he did not have his phone out, it was in his pocket.”

Mrs Back also said: “There have so many incidents near Ravenscourt Park and it’s these moped gangs. Please everybody be vigilant. Don’t have your phones visible and keep your bags across your body.”

The attackers fled the scene after the boy’s friend, who witnessed the attack, flagged down a passing car to ask for help.

A few hours later a man was allegedly attacked by three men on his way home from work in King Street, Hammersmith. The attackers snatched his mobile phone out of his hand and threw him to the ground.

Two other teenagers were attacked in Esmond Road near Turnham Green Tube station around the same time. Neither boy had their mobile phones on them.

The number of reported robberies between January and February around Ravenscourt Park has jumped from six to 15 over the past year according to the Met’s online crime map.

Mrs Back said: “These kids just see it now as what they have to go through even though it’s not right.”

The rise in attacks comes after Hammersmith and Fulham police was merged with neighbouring police services in Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster as part of the Government’s plans to create Basic Command Units (BCUs).

Dr Davinder Lally, director of Evergreen Education, a tutoring service in King Street, started hosting safety awareness sessions to help children in Years 6 to 10 deal with different suspicious situations.

The sessions, which are given by Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), look at a range of issues such as bullying, drugs, social media, theft and stranger danger.

Dr Lally, who started her business in January, said: “I really want to run it every few weeks to help police reach children across different schools.” The sessions have proven to be a huge success.

A total of 26 people including parents and children attended last week’s session to voice their concerns about the rising risk of muggings.

Dr Lally’s son, Rajar, who helps run the business, said: “It is an affluent area for opportunists to target. I think mopeds make people think they can get away with it.”