Just a heads-up - bikes and phone theft in Dulwich Park

[Otto2]

Hi-

Just a heads-up - my son (age 12) and his friend were cycling through Dulwich Park en route to their tennis lesson last night about 5:45pm and were stopped by six older boys who demanded their phone and the bikes. The bullies returned the bikes after a spin around but kept the phone, demanded the password etc. The boys felt quite intimidated and are a bit shook up.

Just after, a group of 6th-formers from Kingsdale came and most wonderfully assisted our boys; they called the police for them, and, waited with the boys until the police came. The police brought my son and his bike home. Thank you to the Kingsdale teens - my son was filled with gratitude for the assistance.

[HannahSE23]

That's awful. I hope your son and his friend are feeling okay now. It's a shocking thing to happen to them. Giving our kids freedom is becoming such a hard thing to do isn't it!

[Angelina]

I'm sure the school will be proud to hear of their pupils behaving so well.

Also, glad your son is ok, if not shaken.

[Ris2011]

How horrible, glad you son is OK.

[wonderwoman]

Glad your son is ok, it must have been a terrible shock. Did the Police catch the perpetrators? Wonder who else they would have done this to and if their parents and schools were suitably notified. I agree it does seem harder to give children their freedom when you hear things like this really makes you anxious as a parent.

[Otto2]

Thanks all. The undercover police drove around w/ my son looking for them, to no avail. I have always given him advice re: handing over his phone should this happen but I guess I was hoping he would not need it though it is, sadly, a thing. There is apparently an uptick in this sort of thing re: kids and phones and bikes in the area at the moment according to two local schools.

A few of the helpful sixth-formers who came to their aid are from Charter as well as Kingsdale. V. pleased to know there is good-heartedness out there too!

[EDmummy]

How terrifying for the boys. I hope they recover speedily. I'm so glad you posted this as my youngest is just getting out and about. We've warned him about this but having a local example has driven home our messages. I am preventing him from taking his phone with him when hanging out but am thinking about buying him a very,very cheap pay as you go handset to take with him on these occasions (better to hand up something rather than have these thieves think he's holding back). What do others think?

[Otto2]

The thieves actually asked what kind of phones they had before demanding them! I've tucked a shiny new five pound note behind his bus pass so at least he has something to offer up. Should probs make it at least a tenner though! My son does not carry his phone on a regular basis so at least he will have something - when he had no phone to offer he was really worried they would indeed search him. Luckily they took his word for it.

[Otto2]

Also - we've advised the boys that when they do have their phones, to duck into a shop if they need to make a call or answer a text if they can...

[Cora]

Just to carry this thread on a little - With the clocks changing my son cycled through the park just after 5pm and said it was pitch black...very little lighting along the main pathway...was really surprised....I understand the whole park can't be lit up but thought the paths would be...do you think the aim is to deter people in there after dark (which is understandable but then they might as well lock it earlier?)....

[bobbsy]

I always thought the gates were closed at sunset?