Doctor warns Dagenham park users after kids threaten to ‘pull a knife’ on him
Suresh Bheri who faced unwanted attention during a jog in Parsloes park - Credit: Archant
Park users are being urged to watch out after a gang of children threatened to pull a knife on a doctor and tried to hit him with a scooter while he was out running.
GP Suresh Bheri, 35, of Dagenham, was jogging in Parsloes Park at about 6.30pm on Tuesday last week when four youngsters approached him and demanded he hand over his mobile phone.
He was easily able to outrun the group, who he believes were between eight and 14 years old, but was shocked by the experience.
“I couldn’t believe people would do something like that in broad daylight in a public place,” he said. “One of them even threatened to pull a knife on me.
“It could have happened to anybody so I’d advise others to watch out.
You may also want to watch:
“My own children are only young so I don’t let them wander off by themselves, but this has made me really quite scared for them.”
Dr Bheri was running around the park’s lake at the time, not far from a children’s play area.
Most Read
- 1 More than 100 Covid dead at Queen's and King George this week
- 2 New Covid test site opening in Barking this weekend
- 3 More than half of people in Barking and Dagenham may have had Covid, data shows
- 4 GPs roll up their sleeves to support colleagues at Queen's Hospital
- 5 Appeal after shots fired at house in Dagenham
- 6 Town hall to decide on bid for Dagenham freeport
- 7 Appeal to find witness who comforted woman hit by a car in Barking
- 8 Doctors and nurses 'exhausted' as hospitals reach breaking point
- 9 Samuel Garside House fire review prompts questions over responsibility
- 10 Rapid Covid-19 test site for people without symptoms open in Dagenham
The group initially appeared friendly, asking what music he was listening to on his headphones, but things swiftly turned sour.
After asking to see his mobile phone, he claims the smallest and youngest-looking of the group tried to hit him with his three-wheeled scooter, before another threatened to pull out a knife.
Although unhurt physically, the experience has made him think twice about living in the area.
He added: “I’ve been debating leaving Dagenham for a while, and this has just sped up my decision – it’s certainly put me off running in that bit of the park.”
Anyone with information about the attempted mugging is asked to call police on 101, or phone Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Read More
Gang member from Barking jailed over Hackney knife attackKnife-carrying is at “endemic state” judge says after Barking gang is sentenced for Kelvin murder‘Friends of Parsloes’ launch to reimagine park