Red Apple Newsagents Cordoned Off

[Mogs]

Does anyone know what's going on at the newsagents next to Val's mini mart at the plough end of Lordship Lane, it's cordoned off with a police car outside.

[Nero]

The two men who work there were held up at 6 this morning. They had a meat cleaver held to their throats by two attackers, who made off with some three-hundred pounds in cash, and cigarettes. The police came and looked at the CCTV but, as of about 6pm, hadn't returned to take the tape away. Nero

[Louisa]

That is really depressing. What scumbags. I know the chap who runs this place and you couldnt meet a nicer guy. I hope they find the guilty and hang them up by the ballbags.

Louisa.

[bluecanary]

How awful. This is my local newsagent and they are all lovely people, very friendly and helpful.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Agreed with everyone - great shop and lovely people and horrified to hear they had to undergo such a thing

Then again, it's not Chiswick Louisa is it?

I hope they catch the guilty and the guilty receives the appropriate sentence - ball-bag hanging and similar (such as hand chopping-off) can be left to Sharia law and suchlike

[Louisa]

Quite right Sean it's not, in Chiswick armed robbery is precisely half the rate it is in SE15/SE22 and SE5, so chances are it wouldnt happen as regularly there as it would here. I didnt know ball bag hanging was part of Sharia law either, next time i'm in Bradford or Luton I shall ask the locals. Hmmmm.

Louisa.

[MrBen]

Louisa - What's "ball bag hanging"?

I had a very sheltered middle class upbringing!

[SeanMacGabhann]

Louisa

I was careful to say Sharia law "and such like" - ie, not the law itself but any eye-for-an-eye still punishment

The reason I mention Chiswick is not to dispute the relative crime figures but to highlight the fact that in another thread about (much pettier but maybe no less significant) crime you told people to get over it as it was SE London not Chiswick... but in THIS case the empathy was much quicker to the fore

[Louisa]

Well having a box of veg or some parcel with clothing in stolen outside a house in SE London isnt exactly a shocker is it? People were talking like it was something to be surprised about! Armed robbery, again, nothing to be surprised about in SE London, but the human cost is a lot greater and the consequences much more severe Sean. Both happen here in SE22, and also Chiswick, but they happen here more regularly. One isnt worth talking about, the other is!

Louisa.

[MrBen]

I'll ask again... what is ball bag hanging?

[Louisa]

MrBen ball bag hanging is an elaborate punishment from Chiswick which has helped lower armed robbery stats over the last five years.

Louisa.

[Keef]

I have to agree fully with Louisa's last post frankly.

Only a couple of years ago poor old George in the post office was shot. We're not living in Rio, but sh!t does happen.

[Amelie]

I spoke with the owner yesterday afternoon, everyone at Red Apple is alright but shaken and he has changed their security procedures as a result. However, the newsagents has CCTV with apparently good pictures taken of the two youths involved. He also said that this problem is getting worse, the shop in Goodrich Road has been shut and converted into a flat because it was robbed so many times.

[fonson]

I was in my local newsagent on Grove Vale yesterday and saw 2 teenage males clearly looking through the window into the shop behind the front counter. They only stopped looking when the shop owners wife spotted them. They then came into the shop and claimed they were looking at the Calpol and were wondering if it was okay to use on a 3 month old baby.

They could be telling the truth but I would say they were casing the joint!

These youngsters have graduated from their bread and butter street robberies to till snatches/armed robberies at newsagents and betting shops, these places are seen as easy targets.

[citizenED]

Sad to hear about this too. This is my local newsagant too and they are always friendly in there. Feel sad for them - hope it doesn't take them long to pick themselves up.

[Perversia]

I was in there yesterday and people seemed fine, although I didn't know about the robbery. It's awful what happens sometimes around here.

And I thought I was going insane the other day when I walked up Goodrich and the newsagents was gone. I can imagine that there will be more robberies at the one on CPR now.

[Nero]

I was heartened to see two police support officers walking past Mirhash. Then I was disappointed to see two more following about 30 yards behind. I did think about askign them why they had to do the beat in fours, but then couldn't be bothered as I feared they might take it the wrong way. Nero