Police warn on drinks - Gay community told to be on their guard following cashpoint thefts

Published: 09 July 2010
by JAMIE WELHAM

POLICE issued a warning to the gay community to be on guard after a man was befriended as he made his way home from a pub in the West End and later robbed.

The victim, 46, was in Shaftesbury Avenue on Saturday at 3am when he was approached by a “flirty and tactile” man. When the man withdrew money from a cashpoint, the suspect took note of his pin and later took cash from his account. 

The suspect was joined by another man and they gave the victim whiskey. He immediately became “stupefied,” police said, and woke up in a hotel in Ilford without his wallet or credit cards. 

DC Jim Morrison said: “We advise members of the community to be very careful when accepting drinks from strangers and vigilant regarding their own purchased drinks.”