Cambridge woman’s bus stop terror

A woman has spoken of her terror after a man followed her as she walked home in Cambridge and repeatedly tried to make her get in his car.

The incident happened on Mill Road on Friday (October 2) after the woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, made her way back from an evening out. She now wants to warn other women about the potential threat the man poses and to highlight how the “deserted” street has become dangerous for women after dark.

“I want to tell women to beware of a young man in a red hatchback targetting lone women walking at night,” she said.

The victim described how a man repeatedly drove past her slowly shouting at her to “get in my car” and that he kept turning his car around to drive past her again and again. Finally he lay in wait for her in a side street before pulling up next to her as she stood at a bus stop.

She said: “He did another three-point-turn, came up to me and stopped the car. My heart is racing now just thinking about it.

“It was really scary when I was sitting in the bus stop because there was nobody around. It is like a ghost town on Mill Road in the evenings now that the bridge is closed to cars. I thought about calling my partner but I realised he couldn’t get there quick enough. Whatever was going to happen to me would have happened by then. So I was just waiting it out.

“The man pulled up and said to me again, ‘Come over here I will give you a lift.’ And then I roared at him. I was terrified and furious as well. I swore and told him to get away from me and he just took off.”

She added: “It’s very possible I just wasn’t what he was looking for when he saw me close up. I was as old as his mother.”

Officers reviewed both the incident and the victim's account, and it was deemed that no crime had been committed.

She described the man as tall, thin, aged 25-35, with a long face, dark hair and olive skin.

“She says: “He was relentless, persistent and determined. He looked like he wasn't going to take no for an answer. He was determined to get what he wanted so I was very fearful.

“That part of Mill Road is totally deserted since the bridge closed so it was scary to be in that situation. I wondered if it being so empty had attracted him. It’s a good place to do that sort of behaviour because there are no other witnesses that may see you behaving erratically. He might not be local, he might have gone there because it is a good place to do that kind of thing. I think Mill Road has become more dangerous. Of course it's only one incident but I feel that the closure of the bridge has made it easier for people to behave like that.

“I have lived in Cambridge for 20 years and have always felt safe here before. Now I’m too frightened to walk down Mill Road after dark and will think twice about cycling as well.

“I’m furious about these men who just invade our lives and take our freedoms. When I visit my friend now I will drive.”

A police spokesperson said: "We were called at just before 11.30pm on Friday (2 October) to reports of suspicious circumstances in Mill Road, Cambridge.

“A woman reported that while walking along the street, a man followed her in his car and told her to get into the vehicle. However, he made no physical attempt to force her and then drove off.

“The woman reported the incident once she had returned to a safe place. Officers reviewed both the incident and the victim’s account, and it was deemed that no crime had been committed. However, following what happened officers have conducted additional patrols in the area.

“Everyone has the right to feel safe when walking home. We offer crime prevention advice on the force website with tips on how to stay safe when out and about.”

The suggested anyone concerned about walking home at night should visit: cambs.police.uk/A-Z/Personal-safety

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