From a sexual attack in Barnsley to numerous burglaries in a Hackney playground, former MET Detective Chief Superintendent Sue Hill is here with her Crime File case book and she needs your help.
We'll also be looking at criminal credit card fraudsters who can steal your bank details just by using their mobile phones!
Case 1: Pensioner assault
94 year old Emma Winnall was assaulted as she slept at her home in Moseley, Birmingham, some time between 9pm on April 30th and 9am the next morning, when she was found by her daughter, Joyce. Detectives believe that Mrs Winall who is wheelchair bound, deaf and almost blind was the victim of mistaken identity.
Her family believes a drugs gang burst into her home thinking she was a relative of a rival dealer. Mrs Winnall underwent emergency surgery after suffering a fractured skull, broken arm and wrist and a partially severed finger, which her family believes was hacked off as a warning. Mrs Winnall has now woken up after being sedated since the attack last week.
Contact: West Midlands Police on 101 or Crimestoppers
Case 2: Armed robber on the run
Surrey Police is appealing for help from members of the public to help locate 48 year-old Graham Richard Farrell who was out on day release license from prison in Bisley on Friday, 27th April when he failed to return to HMP Coldingley.
Farrell was last seen at around 3pm on Friday when he got on a train at Swanley in Kent, which was bound for London Victoria. Farrell is currently serving a 12-year sentence for armed robberies and other violent offences in London. He has connections to Kent and South-east London. He should not be approached directly by a member of the public.
Description: He is described as a white man, 5ft 5" tall and of a medium build. He has blue eyes, a fair complexion and very short brown hair. He has a tattoo of a Thai character on his right arm. Farrell was wearing a grey Nike t-shirt, blue jeans, a green coat and black boots. He may have been carrying a dark blue bag.
Contact: Surrey Police on 101 quoting reference M/12/348 or Crimestoppers.
Case 3: Hackney play centre
A play centre that counts David Cameron, Liz Hurley and Elton John among its patrons has been targeted by burglars eight times since last August. The Kids Adventure Playground in Spring Lane, Hackney, where most of the children are disabled or have learning difficulties, has been repeatedly ransacked by intruders.
Parents of the nearly 200 children who use the centre said today they were sickened by the attacks. The children see the police coming in all the time and it makes them feel anxious. They have stolen the centre’s lawn mowers, petty cash and specialist equipment as well as damaging their CCTV cameras, which the it cannot afford to replace.
Contact: Met Police on 101 or Crimestoppers.
Case 4: Barnsley sexual assault
A 17-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in the Voudou Bar on Wellington Street, Barnsley, on Saturday November 19th 2011, at about 11.30pm.
Description: The man pictured is described as white, in his late 20s, about 6ft, of stocky build with a blond Mohican hairstyle, and a soul patch style beard from his lower lip down to his chin. He was wearing a white T-shirt and a black leather jacket. It is believed he may be of Polish nationality.
Contact: South Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 740 or Crimestoppers.
Case 5: Glass attack in Swindon
A 18 year old man suffered deep wounds to the back of his head after being glassed in an unprovoked attack while on a night out in The Spot in Old Town on 29th April at 12:40am, Swindon. He was queuing at the bar upstairs when he was assaulted from behind by another man.
The victim needed several stitches in the lacerations to the back of his head and neck. His friend was also attacked in the incident. Police have released a picture to show the extent of his injuries and are keen to identify a group of males who may be linked to the incident, who were captured on CCTV later in the evening. The police believe one of the men may be from the Eltham area of London. Yesterday, police released a further image of a man who officers are keen to speak to in connection with the incident.
Description: One man is described as white, around 20 years old, of slim build, with brown hair and wearing a bright red v-necked jumper and sand-coloured trousers. He was with a group of three to four other males, who detectives are also keen to identify
Contact: Wiltshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers.
Card scamming with Thomas Cannon
Contactless cards are available to Natwest, Barclays, HSBC, RBS and Lloyds customers. Just by touching their card on the reader at various high street stores, they are able to pay for goods which are under £10, without using chip and pin or signing for purchases.
Instead of storing data on a magnetic strip, the contactless payment card stores data on a microchip embedded in the card's plastic, which is fitted with a radio antenna capable of transmitting the data to a card reader without physical contact.
They are currently used by around 20 million people, they have been introduced to be quicker and more convenient than cash or traditional card payments.
However, fraudsters can purchase these handheld receptors for as little as £7 on sites like eBay, and simply by walking past cardholders can access their bank details.
Thomas's top tips
- Check your bankcard statement every month for fraudulent transactions
- Use a shield - either put tin foil round your cards or purchase a wallet with a shielding sleeve
- Credit card sleeves, £2.50 and Leather credit card holders, £7.99 from rfidprotect.co.uk