Words & pics by Ed King / Pic from CCTV supplied by West Midlands Police
West Midlands Police (WMP) have released an image of a man they want to talk to following a cash point robbery on York Road near Erdington High Street last month.
Earlier today, WMP posted an appeal on their Twitter feed showing the blurry image of a man – presumably taken from CCTV footage – under the heading: “#APPEAL | Do you recognise this man?”
The post continued to state: “We want to speak to him after a man was robbed outside a bank in #Erdington last month.
“At 12.45pm on Wed 2 August, a man was withdrawing money from the ATM (near Erdington) High Street when another man approached and pushed him to the ground, causing injury, before taking the money that had just been withdrawn and making off.
Members of the public are then encouraged to contact West Midlands Police with any information they have, calling the force on 101 or messaging them via their website’s Live Chat facility: www.west-midlands.police.uk/contact-us/live-chat
Anyone contacting police with information about the man in the picture issued by WMP, or the robbery itself, has been asked to quote crime reference number: 20/673861/23
Erdington Local contacted West Midlands Police for any further information about the robbery, who confirmed it took place outside an ATM on York Road ‘near to the High Street’.
The only ATMs Erdington Local could find on York Road belong to Lloyds Bank. A sign fixed to the wall next to the side street cash machines states: ‘Please be vigilant… Thieves operate in this area’.
Erdington High Street was once one of the busiest throughfares in Birmingham, with a vibrant market and retail community, but has been blighted in recent years by street violence, anti-social behaviour, and endemic shoplifting.
Calls for extra police presence have often been made by local businesses and shoppers alike, many of whom are increasingly concerned over safety in the Town Centre.
John Hodgkiss from the Erdington Business Improvement District (EBID) has been involved in trying to tackle crime in the Town Centre since being appointed as Town Centre Manager in August 2022.
Alongside local elected officials, Mr Hodgkiss instigated meetings earlier this year with local police and stakeholders to draft a 10 point plan to address criminality in the area.
Mr Hodgkiss recently told Erdington Local: “The formation of this 10 point plan dates back to February this year with a public meeting to discuss a way forward with the crime situation in Erdington. The next (meeting) I believe is to go ahead in October.
“The EBID has been involved by offering to take details of crime from retailers on the High Street due to the wide-spread observation that they are unable to get though the 101 non-emergency number to report crime.
“We were also very keen to help with the provision of a ‘pop-up’ police surgery, providing an essential point of contact for those affected by or concerned about crime on the High Street.
“We are still waiting on updates on progression with these projects, which is why we felt it necessary to do what we could in the private sector, by seeking extra funding to employ another Street Warden to help alleviate the worsening situation right now.”
Anyone with information regarding the man in the picture issued by West Midlands Police have been asked to contact the force by calling 101 or via the Live Chat on their website quoting the crime number: 20/673861/23