Clapham Methodist Church / Night Hub

A young student has reported another case of mugging near Prescott Place to the Night Hub, in Clapham’s Methodist Church.

A 21-year-old female student was mugged last Friday night in Prescott Place, Clapham.

The incident occurred when the young woman, who asked to remain anonymous, was going to a bus stop after a night out with her friends in the Two Brewers pub. She was the only one from her group going home in a different direction.

“I’m going to stab you. Give me all your fucking things,” threatened the aggressor, according to the victim.

The girl ran to Clapham’s Night Hub “crying hysterically and trembling”, said Reverend Norman Grigg, who runs the Night Hub on the weekends at Clapham’s Methodist Church.

The girl usually goes out around the area so she knew about the service. “It was the first place I thought of going when I started running,” she said.

“I threw my phone to him and ran away as fast as I could,” explained the girl to Reverend Grigg.

The victim said that the aggressor was a “black male of around 25 years old wearing a grey jacket and a black and white striped t-shirt”.

A volunteer from the Night Hub handed in his phone to the victim so she could call her friend she lives with to pick her up.

“Although nothing terrible happened, she was shocked and very nervous,” explained Reverend Grigg. “The victim declared while she was waiting for her friend that she would go to the police station the following morning.”

Many attacks such as muggings and fights have been reported in the area “mainly towards young students, especially females,” explained Reverend Grigg. “As far as I know, the police have informed us that they will increase their presence near Prescott Place to avoid these incidents.”

“Last week a 19-year-old girl reported another mugging that occurred in Stonhouse Street, next to Prescott Place. She went to Clapham Police Station right away to inform them about the incident,” said Reverend Grigg. “She was also threatened with a pocket knife. She handed in her bag with all of her possessions.”

However, this attack was perpetrated “by an older man of around 40 years old”, said Reverend Grigg.

The police and the Night Hub, who work closely together, suspect that there might be a gang working in the area at night in weekends, as incidents reported are very similar to one another, but different descriptions of attackers have been given.