Six Women Attacked in 90 Minutes
Thursday, 3rd July 2003.
Six women have been attacked by a car gang of violent robbers.
The 90-minute reign of terror began in Linton, continued in Fulbourn and Cambridge and ended in a dramatic swoop by police near Bury St Edmunds.
The first incident happened in High Street, Linton, at around 5.10pm.
A woman, who was with her young child, was repeatedly punched around the head as the muggers grabbed her handbag.
An ambulance was called by the police but the woman was not taken to hospital.
At around 5.20pm the car drove away from a garage at Fourwentways Shell garage, Abington, without paying.
Five minutes later, there were two more incidents - a robbery and an attempted robbery - this time in Fulbourn.
A woman was pushed as the robbers tried to steal her handbag but failed and another victim was robbed of her handbag at 5.50pm at Tesco, Fulbourn.
A further two women were targeted as they walked down Newmarket Road in Cambridge at 6.30pm. The women were knocked over but the robbers did not manage to steal their bags.
And at 6.35pm a woman was floored after the robbers tried and failed to steal her bag on Cheddars Lane near Tesco.
A red Vauxhall Carlton was later stopped in Westley, near Bury St Edmunds at 8.35pm and a 19-year-old man, from Haverhill, was arrested by Suffolk police.
A second man, aged 17, from Haverhill, escaped on foot but was later arrested in Horringer, Suffolk, at 10.20pm.
Both men were arrested on suspicion of robbery in connection with a series of attempted handbag snatches.
Insp Ross Giddings said: "This was a nasty bunch of incidents that went on for more than an hour.
"All of the victims were female and a lot were assaulted during the attempted robberies.
"The details of the vehicle were circulated. It was found, traced and followed into Suffolk."
Insp Giddings said three men were believed to have been in the car at Linton, although only two were present when it was stopped.
The 90-minute reign of terror began in Linton, continued in Fulbourn and Cambridge and ended in a dramatic swoop by police near Bury St Edmunds.
The first incident happened in High Street, Linton, at around 5.10pm.
A woman, who was with her young child, was repeatedly punched around the head as the muggers grabbed her handbag.
An ambulance was called by the police but the woman was not taken to hospital.
At around 5.20pm the car drove away from a garage at Fourwentways Shell garage, Abington, without paying.
Five minutes later, there were two more incidents - a robbery and an attempted robbery - this time in Fulbourn.
A woman was pushed as the robbers tried to steal her handbag but failed and another victim was robbed of her handbag at 5.50pm at Tesco, Fulbourn.
A further two women were targeted as they walked down Newmarket Road in Cambridge at 6.30pm. The women were knocked over but the robbers did not manage to steal their bags.
And at 6.35pm a woman was floored after the robbers tried and failed to steal her bag on Cheddars Lane near Tesco.
A red Vauxhall Carlton was later stopped in Westley, near Bury St Edmunds at 8.35pm and a 19-year-old man, from Haverhill, was arrested by Suffolk police.
A second man, aged 17, from Haverhill, escaped on foot but was later arrested in Horringer, Suffolk, at 10.20pm.
Both men were arrested on suspicion of robbery in connection with a series of attempted handbag snatches.
Insp Ross Giddings said: "This was a nasty bunch of incidents that went on for more than an hour.
"All of the victims were female and a lot were assaulted during the attempted robberies.
"The details of the vehicle were circulated. It was found, traced and followed into Suffolk."
Insp Giddings said three men were believed to have been in the car at Linton, although only two were present when it was stopped.
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