Our town has been terrorised by masked ‘Gingerbread Man’ robbing women & OAPs for a YEAR… bungling cops can’t catch him

FOR over a year a violent, masked thug has been attacking and robbing women of their jewellery, claiming over 50 victims – yet cops are no closer to catching him. According to some victims, police have dubbed him ‘The Gingerbread Man’ because of his ability to escape their clutches. The masked yob has claimed more than 50 victims Credit: West Midlands Police Crimestoppers has launched a £10,000 reward for information to apprehend ‘The Gingerbread Man’ Credit: Roland Leon But terrorised locals are now fed up. They have posted a picture of a man alleged to be the offender online and even named him, yet the thug’s reign of fear continues. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! There is even talk of vigilante justice. Late last month, Stacey, 20, was walking to her retail job in the Chelmsley Wood area of Solihull along the Black Path when she passed a man in a balaclava. Sarah, the mother of one victim, standing where her daughter was attacked and robbed Credit: Roland Leon The ‘Gingerbread Man’ has been running amock for over a year Credit: Crimestoppers/West Midlands Police It was 8.40 in the morning on a path normally full of mums on the school run but with the holidays having begun, it was quieter than normal. Her mum, Sarah, 56, said: “My daughter told me that she held his stare as he passed by, then saw a shadow behind her as he doubled back on himself and grabbed her by the hair. “He ripped a bracelet off her wrist and told her to “keep f***ing walking.” Stacey, who is now being treated for PTSD, ran screaming to the nearby Asda and rang her mother. Most read in The Sun Now her mum just won’t let it go. She said: “I have not stopped posting about it and soon I found out just how many other victims were out there. “My inbox was full of people messaging me to say it had happened to them or tell me who it was, it seemed like an open secret. “My daughter rang the police right after it happened on Friday 24 July and they said they’d check CCTV and get back to her later. “They didn’t even take a statement. That man would have been covered in her hair and evidence if they’d got on with it.” Denise Tomlinson, 59, says her husband was robbed by the ‘Gingerbread Man’ Credit: Roland Leon Lynda Burden, 66, said she is too frightened to take her dog out at night Credit: Roland Leon Solihull, on the outskirts of Birmingham, has long been seen as a posh area with a Conservative council and MP. But included in the borough is Chelmsley Wood and Smith’s Wood, big council estates built in the 1960s after the city cleared its slums. And that’s where the ‘Gingerbread Man’ has been running amock. Now the charity Crimestoppers have offered a £10,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the masked robber on the electric bike. West Midlands Police have since admitted there have been over 50 victims in the past year. Retired hairdresser Andrea Williams, 76, lives close to where several of the attacks have happened. A neighbour, a woman in her 80s, was attacked last month as she pushed her walking frame on a path by her home. She said: “My neighbour heard the screaming. She was punched in the face and was in a terrible state. He’d pulled her gold jewellery off her. Back of Winchester Drive where some of the robberies have taken place Credit: Roland Leon Truro Walk is where an OAP was robbed Credit: Roland Leon “This is a frightening place. It’s not well-lit and there are lots of dark alleyways and you see kids hanging out in balaclavas. “I have been here 15 years and never go out at night but I would always walk to Asda which is only five minutes away but not now.” While many of his victims are elderly females, some are younger and some are male. Hairdresser Denise Tomlinson, 59, said her husband was attacked from behind as he walked home from work in Chelmsley Wood last October. She said: “He was whacked to the floor and his chain was ripped off his neck. “It was a really violent attack and left him needing to go to hospital with a sprained jaw and fractured ribs. “The police were told everything but we never heard another dickie bird. I think they are useless. “This thug is just laughing and thinks he can do what he wants. People need to lynch mob him.” Denise’s customer Lynda Burden, 66, said she is too frightened to take her dog out at night. “Hearing what he did to the old lady really made me think. My friend heard her screaming. “This has been going on for far too long now. The police just fob everyone off.” Another victim of the robber was Sian, a 24-year-old mother-of-two. She was walking home from her aunt’s house in Smith’s Wood last April. “It was 10.30 and it was dark and this guy walked past me wearing a balaclava. “I tried not to think too much about it but then a few minutes later he came out of an alleyway and barged me onto the ground. “He demanded jewellery and I did not have anything. He made me show him my neck and my wrist, then he demanded cash but I didn’t have any of that either. “I think I was quite lucky really. He booted me as I lay on the ground and rode off.” The impact of the crimes is affecting everyone in the area. Lee, 44, a father-of-five, said: “We’ve been told this has been going on for 18 months. I think it’s outrageous. “My daughter is about to go to senior school and needs to walk along the river where some of these attacks have happened. “I worry about her, I worry about my wife walking back from the supermarket with the shopping.” Mick Ryan, 68, a part-time cleaner, said: “If I knew who it was I would shake him out and claim the reward. “He doesn’t pick on anyone who could fight back. He is just a coward and I hope he gets caught.” Chief Inspector Jonathan Kiteley from Solihull Police said: “We want to reassure the community that we are doing everything we can to get this individual in custody. “We have increased our patrols in key locations which includes both high visibility and plain clothes and we are continuing to review CCTV. “When you’re out and about, be sure to be aware of your surroundings. Plan your route and keep valuables out of sight.” Alan Edwards, West Midlands Regional Manager at the charity Crimestoppers, said: “This is a deeply concerning pattern of attacks against people who may be seen as more vulnerable, often carried out with little warning and using significant violence. “Someone will know who is responsible or have information about these incidents. “If you do, please tell us anonymously and we’ll pass it on for you. Your information could make a real difference in helping to protect others from harm.” The Sun has approached West Midlands Police for further comment.