DETECTIVES investigating the attempted armed robbery of a teenage girl on Tuesday evening are appealing for witnesses.
At around 6pm the 14-year-old victim was walking along Lyneham Road when she was approached by two men who dragged her to a service road behind the nearby shops. As one of the offenders grabbed her by the throat the other demanded that she hand over her bag or he would commit a serious sexual offence on her.
The attackers were disturbed by a member of the public who challenged the pair. The offender who demanded the bag then produced a knife and threatened the man and the girl once again before the pair fled along Lyneham Road and towards the Shell filling station in Eaton Green Road.
Neither the victim nor her rescuer were injured during the attempted robbery, but detectives are keen to locate the good Samaritan and any other witnesses.
Detective Sergeant Mark Taylor, said: “The victim of this attempted robbery has been left very shaken by the incident and by the threats that were made during it. It is important that we locate her attackers to stop them from committing any offences in the future.
“We are in the process of examining CCTV footage that was taken in the area where the offence took place but I am eager to locate the man who intervened and prevented this robbery or any other crime from taking place. It is possible that he holds some valuable information relating to the offence or the attackers.
“I would also like to speak with anyone who may have been in the Lyneham Road area around the time of the incident and may have noticed the offenders either before or after the attack. Please don’t dismiss your information as unimportant – even tiny details which don’t seem relevant now might become useful later on in the investigation.”
The offenders are described as white, in their late teens and wearing dark jogging bottoms and dark hooded tops. The pair also wore black scarves across their faces and black gloves.
Contact DS Taylor on 01582 473235, the non emergency number 101, or text information to 07786 200011. Or contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.