A teenager has been arrested after a gym user was attacked and robbed in Nottingham. The 21-year-old victim was on his way to the gym and was walking along Glendon Drive, Sherwood, when he was approached by someone who asked to use his phone.
Suspecting the person wanted to steal it, the student claimed he didn’t have any credit. The other person accused him of lying and then grabbed the device before punching the victim in the neck.
A struggle broke out and the phone was dropped on the floor. The victim managed to pick it up but as he tried to escape, the robber pulled his gym bag off his shoulders and made off in the other direction. The student chased the robber but lost sight of him.
The incident happened at around 12.30pm on Sunday, January 5 and a short time afterwards, the student and some friends spotted the robber with the gym bag in Wimbledon Road. Again a chase took place and the thief dropped the bag before getting away.
The victim grabbed the bag but inside were items that did not belong to him. He called the police and following inquiries, officers arrested a 17-year-old boy on suspicion of robbery on the morning of Tuesday, January 7. He remains in custody for questioning.
Detective Sergeant Frank Guddemi, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Robberies of this nature can be a traumatic experience for victims. Thankfully the victim in this robbery was not seriously injured, but we know that whenever physical violence is used there is the potential for an incident to escalate.
“We have been working hard on the investigation and this arrest is an important step. However, we still want to hear from anyone with any relevant information, or CCTV, doorbell, dashcam or mobile phone footage which could assist with our ongoing inquiries.”
Anyone with any information should call police on 101, quoting incident number 232 of 5 January 2025 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.