Arrest in Belsize Park gunpoint muggings investigation

Thursday April 15, 2010

By CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS

DETECTIVES are this afternoon interviewing a man in connection with a series of armed robberies on Asian women in the NW3 postcode last month.

The 26-year-old was arrested at 8.30am this morning in the Dorney tower block in Adelaide Road and taken to a central London police station for questioning.

It is understood his arrest came after he was spotted sleeping the stairs of the block on the Chalcot estate in Belsize Park. It followed a fifth robbery carried out on a Belsize Park woman on last night in Lambolle Street.

Last month, police said a man robbed four Asian women at gunpoint on their doorsteps, first attacking a couple in another tower block in Adelaide Road before carrying out similar attacks on women across Belsize Park and Hampstead.

And last week police confirmed he appeared to have targeted Asian women of Chinese or Japanese appearance. It is thought the woman attacked last night was also Asian, although a gun wasn’t used this time.

A police spokeswoman said: “Officers from Camden's Robbery Squad, accompanied by armed police, made the arrest at a block in Adelaide Road NW3 at 08:35 hours. The man has been taken to a Camden police station for questioning and enquiries continue.”