MUGGERS robbed a blind man as he made his way home after a night out.

Social worker Martin Conway, 40, spoke of his ordeal in a bid to help to catch those responsible and prevent other people falling victim.

Martin, who uses a white stick - got off the tram at north Manchester's Crumpsall station ready for a 10-minute walk home just before midnight on Friday.

But as he walked up the steps he became aware of a group of people hanging around.

Concerned they were up to no good he says he hurried towards the main road.

But as he got to Crumpsall Lane near the Canny Scot shop he realised the group had been following him from the station.

He said: "I thought I was okay but suddenly a guy drew up beside me. He had obviously been following quietly. He moved in front of me and said: `just give us your wallet mate'.

"It was all very conversational, so much so that I thought they were joking. I actually asked him: `you can't be serious?' He said he was and then ripped open the velcro strip on my pocket and took out my wallet.

"He turned around to someone with him and said: `we don't need the knife'.

"There might not have been a knife. It could have been something he simply said, but I thought we need to get this over and done with and move on."

The Crumpsall man, who is originally from Ireland and went blind as a baby, said he thought the group had then gone away but one of them returned and began feeling his pockets for valuables.

He said: "I told them that I only had my keys on me and that I needed to get home then they headed off in the opposite direction.

Conversational

"It was all so conversational that people may not have realised what was going on. I even said to them as they walked away, `nice one lads, thanks for that, cheers'.

"I was actually very calm. If I had had a few more pints I might have had a different reaction but I was in full possession of my faculties and I thought that the guy I was talking to seemed quite calm and if I stayed calm he would be able to hold his mates back if they did try to use the knife. It was all over so quickly, a minute maximum."

He said because he was unable to give police a visual description of those involved he was not optimistic that they would be able to catch them. He said that there were two, three or possibly more in the group, and that the man who spoke sounded as though he were in his late teens or early 20s.

He said the journey was one he had made without problem lots of times.

He said he would not let the incident impact on his life but said he would probably avoid the tram station and take a taxi home after a night out in future.

Martin had been to the Marble Arch pub in Rochdale Road on the night of the attack. He was wearing a beige jacket and dark trousers.

Police are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen him being approached by a group of people at the tram station or on Crumpsall Lane.

Pc Phil Sutcliffe said: "This was a cowardly attack on a vulnerable man. Though he was not injured he was shaken. We believe that somebody may have seen a group of men following Martin with his white stick and we would appeal for them to come forward."

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 8563952 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.
Tweet