CRAYFORD: Assault victim told police will investigate after all (From News Shopper)

CRAYFORD: Assault victim told police will investigate after all

11:30am Thursday 18th March 2010 in

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A COACH driver was furious when he discovered Bexley police were taking no further action over in incident in which he was assaulted in the street.

But Greg Chapman’s anger turned to puzzlement when he was told the investigation had been halted because he failed to make a statement.

Mr Chapman, 49, of Waterside, Crayford, says he had been chasing the police for weeks to get an appointment to make a statement.

Mr Chapman’s block of maisonettes is plagued by teenagers drinking and smoking cigarettes and drugs on the stairwells.

In December last year, on his way, to the shops Mr Chapman confronted teenagers on the stairs and forced them out of the building.

When he walked down the street a few minutes later to pick up some bread and milk, he did not know one of the ejected teenagers was waiting for him.

Mr Chapman said: “A neighbour saw him round the corner holding an A-board from outside the shop.”

The teenager threw the board at Mr Chapman, bruising his arm, and returned while Mr Chapman was calling the police, to punch him on the back of the head.

He said police were on the scene quickly and arrested the youth.

There were also two neighbours who witnessed the attack.

When Mr Chapman rang the police a week ago to find out what was happening, they claimed they had tried and failed 15 times to contact him about a statement and had marked the assault “no further action”.

But now the investigation has been revived, after he demanded an officer visit him to detail the 15 “contact attempts”.

The night before the officer’s visit, Mr Chapman was called by a dectective inspector who dispatched an officer within an hour to take his statement.

The following day he got another call asking for the witnesses’ details, who have also now been interviewed.

Mr Chapman said: “I am totally confused. The police are now talking about rearresting the youth and charging him.”

Bexley police confirmed they are investigating an allegation of assault that occurred on December 1.

A spokeswoman said: “Enquiries continue and, as this is part of an ongoing investigation, we are not in a position to comment further.”