Man threatened pensioner, in 80s, demanding money and wallet in woods
An elderly man, in his 80s, was walking in Witch Wood, a narrow strip of dense woodland alongside the railway line, close to the railway bridge on Blackpool Road, around 8.30am on Wednesday, July 23.
A man threatened him and started patting down his pockets, demanding money and his wallet.
A dog walker intervened and the man left empty-handed and headed towards Blackpool Road.
The man is described as being aged between mid-20s and mid-30s, wearing a thin jacket with the hood down, and light blue jeans.
A police spokesperson said: 'We are appealing for witnesses and footage after an elderly man was the subject of an attempted robbery in Lytham.
'The victim, who is in his 80s, was walking in Witch Wood – a narrow strip of dense woodland alongside the railway line - close to the railway bridge on Blackpool Road, around 8.30am on Wednesday, July 23.
'He was approached by a man who threatened him and started patting down his pockets, demanding money and his wallet.
'A dog walker saw what was going on and intervened, the man running away empty-handed on to Blackpool Road.
'The man is described as being aged between mid-20s and mid-30s, wearing a thin jacket which had the hood down, and light blue jeans.
'If you were in the area and saw the man running away from Witch Wood on to Blackpool Road, or were driving in the area and have dashcam footage, please contact 101 – quoting log 0313 of 23rd July – or email 752@lancashire.police.uk.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Police chief hits back at Reform UK after ‘cover-up' accusations regarding rape suspects
Police have denied a 'cover up' after a councillor accused the force of withholding information following the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl. Warwickshire Police's chief constable Alex Franklin-Smith has asked the Home Office to confirm the full immigration status of Ahmad Mulakhil and Mohammad Kabir, who have been charged in connection with the offence. It comes after Reform UK's leader Nigel Farage and Warwickshire County Council leader George Finch claimed there had been a 'cover up' after police charged the two men, who are Afghan asylum seekers. In a letter to the Home Secretary and Warwickshire Police's chief constable, Mr Finch, the youngest council leader in the country, claimed that not publicising the pair's immigration status 'risks public disorder breaking out on the streets of Warwickshire'. Responding to Mr Finch, Mr Franklin-Smith wrote that the force 'did not and will not' cover up alleged criminality. 'I am confident that Warwickshire Police has treated this investigation seriously from the outset working tirelessly to identify, locate, arrest and charge those suspected of being responsible for this awful crime as quickly as possible.' Of the suspects, he wrote: 'The immigration status of Ahmad Mulakhil and Mohammad Kabir is now public knowledge, having been placed into the public domain by yourself. 'In light of that, I have asked the Home Office to confirm the full immigration status of Ahmad Mulakhil and Mohammad Kabir as per the information we shared with the Crown Prosecution Service and the courts as part of this case.' Of a conversation he and Mr Finch had on July 31, Mr Franklin-Smith wrote: 'You informed me you had already received a confidential briefing from your chief executive and that you knew the person charged was an asylum seeker. 'I confirmed this was accurate and we wouldn't be releasing immigration status at point of charge as we follow national guidance. 'I explained the information would become public knowledge as part of the court process and that all partners must ensure we are prepared to manage any potential protest and/or disorder at that stage. 'I explained we had a police gold commander leading the overall response to this case and that the communications plan agreed by them followed consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service. 'I also explained we had briefed the Home Office. 'To be clear, I cannot tell elected individuals what to do.' Following the reported attack in Nuneaton, Mulakhil, 23, was arrested on July 26 and charged the next day with rape, according to police. Mulakhil appeared at Coventry Magistrates' Court last Monday and has been remanded in custody. Kabir, 23, was arrested in Nuneaton on Thursday and charged with kidnap, strangulation and aiding and abetting rape of a girl under 13, the force added. Kabir appeared at Coventry Magistrates' Court on Saturday and has been remanded in custody. The issue of how much information is revealed by police regarding suspects has been the subject of fierce debate following a string of high-profile cases including the Southport killings last year. On Tuesday, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said 'we do think more transparency is needed' in the information given by police and that 'guidance needs to change'. In a statement released on Tuesday evening, a Home Office spokesperson said: 'As the Home Secretary said this morning, it has been widely reported that this case involves two Afghan individuals who are in the asylum system, some of which information has already been confirmed in open court. 'The Home Secretary has made clear that there is a strong public interest in maximum transparency wherever that is possible. 'That is why the Home Office and College of Policing are working together to strengthen and clarify the guidance around how and when information is released.' Warwickshire Police previously said they do not believe anyone else was involved in the reported rape but are continuing to appeal for witnesses who may have information that could assist inquiries.
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Girl, 10, Found on Highway Was Allegedly 'Tortured,' Father and Girlfriend Arrested: 'Black and Blue From Head to Toe'
Rebekah Baptiste's father Richard Baptiste and his girlfriend Anicia Woods have been arrested on murder chargesNEED TO KNOW Rebekah Baptiste, 10, was found unresponsive on a highway by Arizona authorities last month She died three days later Authorities say she had significant signs of abuse throughout her bodyAn Arizona couple is facing murder charges after a young girl was found unresponsive on a highway last month — and died days later. Police in Holbrook, Ariz., discovered 10-year-old Rebekah Baptiste unresponsive at the intersection of two highways on July 27, AZ Family, ABC 15 and 12 News reported, citing the Apache County Sheriff's Office. Baptiste was transported to a medical facility where she died on July 30, per police. Her father, 32-year-old Richard Baptiste, and his 29-year-old girlfriend Anicia Woods were arrested in connection with the killing, per authorities. They're each charged with first-degree murder and child abuse, according to Apache County court records reviewed by PEOPLE. Court records did not indicate plea or attorney information for either of them. During a court appearance on Monday, Aug. 4, prosecutors alleged Rebekah had been "tortured," medical personnel determined, and was dehydrated and malnourished when she was found, AZ Family and ABC 15 reported. The child was reportedly missing her toenails, and her condition showed indications of "child physical abuse, sexual abuse and torture," prosecutors said, per AZ Family. 'She was black and blue from her head to toe," Rebekah's uncle Damon Hawkins told AZ Family. "She had two black eyes, and they're thinking the cause of death was because of a hemorrhage." Rebekah's school reportedly contacted the Department of Child Safety 12 times with concerns about her welfare but says it appeared no "meaningful action" was taken, AZ Family has reached out to DCS Arizona for comments. The department told AZ Family in a statement they are "actively collaborating with law enforcement in a joint investigation to ensure that the people responsible for this heinous act are brought to justice." If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. Read the original article on People
CBS News
28 minutes ago
- CBS News
Police said suspect will be charged in Cambridge and Lowell cold cases
Authorities say they have charged a man with murder in two cold cases, one in Lowell and one in Cambridge. Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, Lowell Police Commissioner Gregory Hudon, and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow said Tuesday that Kevin J. Lino, 38, a former resident of Lowell, will face two murder charges for the deaths of Douglas Leon Clarke, 30, in Cambridge, and Gary A. Melanson, 54, in Lowell. Melanson was beaten to death with a baseball bat under the Rogers Street Bridge in Lowell in 2010. Clarke was originally thought to have died of an accidental overdose by the Charles River in Cambridge in 2012, but police said they now believe Lino intentionally gave him the overdose after an argument. According to authorities, Lino and Melanson were unhoused and living in an encampment near the Rogers Street Bridge in Lowell when Melanson lit fires to stay warm after Lino had told him not to, fearing it would draw the attention of authorities. Police allege Lino then attacked Melanson with an aluminum bat. According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Melanson had injuries to his head, torso and limbs, including fractured ribs, a collapsed lung and a fractured arm. Two years later, police allege, Lino was living in a homeless encampment near the Harvard Square MBTA station when he gave Clarke a fatal overdose of heroin. Police said Lino allegedly wanted to drive out heroin-using members of the group. Police said he also attacked other heroin users, leading to a confrontation with Clarke. Police said they discovered a link between the cases while investigating an unrelated case. Lino is serving a sentence in Suffolk County for an unrelated crime. His arraignment on the new charges hasn't been scheduled yet. "It is when we are able, in collaboration with both our state and local police partners, to really dedicate the resources to looking at new evidence to developing new information and being able to get to a place where we are able to know the truth about what has happened and to begin the process of holding people accountable," said Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan.
