An extensive police investigation has led to three people being charged in connection with a string of street robberies.
Three teenagers, aged 14, 15 and 16, are alleged to have carried out ten robberies and attempted robberies between them.
All the incidents are understood to have happened on streets in and around Nottingham city centre, with the majority taking place over two evenings.
The group, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are alleged to have carried out five robberies and five attempted robberies, while between November 2021 and January 2022.
Witnesses claimed that they had been threatened with a knife in some cases.
The first incident took place on 24 November 2021, and reportedly saw a man have his electric scooter robbed at knife point at Forest Recreation Ground, Forest Fields.
Two robberies and two attempted robberies were then reported to Nottinghamshire Police on 12 January 2022.
Cash, a phone and two pairs of headphones were reportedly stolen during two robberies in Lenton, which took place within five minutes of one another, in Derby Road and Church Street.
Police also received reports of two attempted robberies the same evening (12 January 2022), again in Lenton, with a group threatening a man and a woman before running away, in Cottesmore Road and Sherwin Road.
Two further robberies and three more attempted robberies were then reported to have taken place close to Nottingham city centre on 14 January 2022.
Again, each of the alleged incidents took place in quick succession, with a man being forced to hand over his wallet in Welby Avenue, Lenton, before an attempted robbery was then reported in Gamble Street, Radford.
Two further robbery attempts are understood to have then taken place within the space of five minutes of one another in The Park, first in Park Valley and then Castle Boulevard.
A man was then reportedly robbed at knife point for his phone and wallet the same evening (14 January 2022) in Castle Road, The Park.
Three teenagers, who cannot be named or legal reasons, have been linked to the different offences, with officers charging three suspects on Wednesday (23 March 2022) as part of the investigation.
A 15-year-old boy has been charged with five counts of robbery and five counts of attempted robbery.
A 16-year-old boy has been charged with four counts of robbery, five counts of attempted robbery and three further counts of fraud by false representation.
A 14-year-old boy has been charged with four counts of robbery and five counts of attempted robbery.
The suspects have all been released on conditional bail and are due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on 6 April 2022.
Detective Sergeant Frank Guddemi, from Nottinghamshire Police’s dedicated robbery team, said: “Following an extensive investigation into a string of robberies and attempted robberies close to Nottingham city centre, we are now in a position to be able to charge three people.
“Robbery is a hugely invasive crime that can have a long-lasting impact on victims, both from a physical and an emotional standpoint.
“It is for this exact reason why we treat all instances of robbery so seriously and will always maintain a zero-tolerance approach to these kinds of crimes.
“I would like to thank everyone who has come forward to assist us with this investigation and reassure them that every effort is being made to bring this case to a successful conclusion.”
Nottinghamshire Police has a dedicated robbery team, which is supported by other force resources to continue to target these offenders, support victims and engage in preventative work.
Their tireless proactive work has contributed towards a massive 38 per cent reduction in robbery incidents in Nottinghamshire, with a drop from 1,257 to 779 incidents across the county between October 2020 and September 2021, compared to pre-Covid levels between October 2018 and September 2019.
