Hunt for the bus robber in a collar and tie

Sep 19 2007 By Mark Cowan, Birmingham Mail

THIS is the smartly-dressed suspect police want to quiz over a string of bag slash thefts from Birmingham bus passengers.

The clean-shaven man, who always wears trousers, shirt and tie, has struck at least 10 times on buses heading out of the city centre.

Detectives believe the man disarms his female victims with his neat appearance and polite manner as he sits down next to them.

But within seconds he sets to work with a blade to slice open their bags and steal their purses before getting off at the next stop.

The thief has already preyed on passengers aged between 40 and 90 in Harborne and Edgbaston, but officers believe his routes may be randomly chosen.

Detectives fear there may be many more women who have lost valuables without even realising they have been a victim of the bus bandit.

The thief has been operating in the city, possibly using a Daysaver ticket, for the past three months.

Police said the first his victims were aware they had been targeted was when they stood up to get off the bus and things dropped out of their bags.

The offences all happened between 11am and 3pm.

Officers tracking his pattern of offending said that on one day he carried out an offence on one bus heading into the city centre before jumping on another bus to target a second woman.

Police and transport bosses are worried about the effect such attacks could have on their victims, but urged passengers not to panic and remain vigilant.

They also believe there could be other victims of the bandit who have not come forward because they had not realised they had been targeted.

Det Sgt Ian Shepherd, from Rose Road CID, said: "There is some thought and planning that has gone into this. He clearly gives the impression that he is a normal, everyday, smartly dressed person. There is nothing that would raise suspicion."

Today, robbery squad detectives released CCTV footage of one of the incidents to the Birmingham Mail and called on readers to name him.

The incident happened on the number 103 service between Birmingham city centre and Woodgate Valley, at about 1.15pm on June 26 as the bus headed through Harborne.

The smartly dressed thief sat next to a woman in her late 40s even though there were many empty seats. He carefully cut open her bag before reaching inside to snatch £40 worth of cash and valuables.

He then calmly stood up and got off the bus.

Days earlier, he escaped with £10 from a 71-year-old woman after cutting through her bag while travelling on the number 23 bus service along Harborne Park Road, in Edgbaston.

There have also been offences along Bristol Road, in Edgbaston.

Det Con Rhonda Grant, from Rose Road CID, said: "Although the offender has not used actual violence we are concerned about the effects this could have on the victims because of their age when they discover this loss.

"We are currently linking a number of similar offences and need to identify the offender as soon as possible to prevent further crimes.

"Some people may not be aware that they have been subject to such crime and I would like to appeal for any other people who believe that they may have been victim to come forward."

The offender was described as black, aged about 40, about 5ft 8in tall and stocky with short or shaved hair.

 Anyone who recognises the may in the CCTV footage should call the Rose Road Robbery Team on 0121 626 6553 or the anonymous Crimestoppers hotline on 0800 555111.