Dad slams Met Police response to High Street robbery

The man, who has chosen to stay anonymous, said he was "shocked" and "disappointed" at the response from officers after he reported his 16-year-old son's phone stolen yesterday (February 15).

He claimed crime in Havering is getting "ridiculous" and his recent experience has made him want to move away.

Police today (February 16) confirmed a 16-year-old boy had reported being threatened by another, who suggested he had a weapon, at around 9.45am on High Street in Hornchurch.

The suspect, at a bus stop, told the boy to hand over his phone before leaving the scene, police added.

It comes just days after a knife-wielding gang threatened a lone male in Romford near the Brewery shopping centre.

He claimed the police response to the incident involving his son had been "terrible" and accused officers of instead starting to question his boy.

"They've been terrible," he said. "I was quite shocked and disappointed that they were not interested.

"They told me I was taking up the 999 line and this was not a matter of life or death.

"But this was an emergency, and they were questioning my son like he had done something wrong," he alleged.

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Police said that they had been called at 10.15am yesterday, around half-an-hour after the incident.

But the man said this delay in reporting was because his son had walked to the old Hornchurch police station immediately after the incident, not knowing it was closed.

"He was just scared - he gave it [the phone] over [and] walked to the police station, but it was not open any more.”

He said it would have been easy for police to send a car, but it was now too late to find the culprit.

"They were no help at all," he said. "On another day it could've been a very different outcome."

Officers are investigating, police said, including speaking to the boy's family and carrying out CCTV enquiries.

No arrests have been made.