Mother pleads for more police on patrol in Hampstead after mugging of nanny

The woman was mugged on the doorstep of a home in the Frognal area
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Hannah Al-Othman14 August 2015
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A woman whose nanny was mugged by a crowbar wielding man in Hampstead has called for police to step up patrols.

The woman, who wished to be identified only as Sarah, said the nanny was mugged on the doorstep of her home in the Frognal area, in broad daylight.

The nanny was looking after Sarah's small child when the man, who was wearing a motorcycle helmet, approached her and demanded she hand over an expensive watch.

After realising the man was clutching a crowbar, the nanny threw him her watch, and he ran off.

Sarah said the mugging was not an isolated incident, but that many Hampstead mothers have become concerned about crime in the area, and they are now calling for an increased police presence.

She said: "It was very disturbing, my child being under her care at the time, and it was 11 o'clock in the morning, and it was literally on our doorstep.

"It was very unexpected given we live in a supposedly safe and quiet area.

"I started speaking to a lot of mums in the area, and a lot have experienced similar things; robberies, phones being snatched.

"Having spoken to mums who've lived her for many years, it happens every summer, people leave Hampstead, houses are empty, opportunistic crimes are happening, but in broad daylight, like this, it's really unexpected.

"It sparked a bit of a debate about why there's such a lack of police in the area - I've lived her for five years and there's nothing.

"The police station has been closed in Hampstead so there's nothing really.

"I think people assume Hampstead is very safe, and that's probably why it's being targeted, because it's so quiet, maybe too quiet."

However, Chief Inspector Steven Wright from Camden police said Hampstead was regularly policed.

He said: "They have a dedicated ward officer and a dedicated neighbourhood policing team that patrol Hampstead the same as anywhere else.

"Police are deployed on intelligence-led policing, and will respond to a rise in crime or incidents of note anywhere London-wide.

"Police proactively patrol where the majority of crimes happen. Hampstead is a lovely area, a low crime area, but police are there, the same as anywhere else in London.

"The police station was closed because it was never used by the public and costs hundreds of thousands of pounds in upkeep, that money was reinvested in police officers on the street, not maintaining a building we didn't use or want."

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