Silent crime: Foodbank staff in Telford terrorised by street thug who keeps being arrested and released by the courts
Volunteers at a Shropshire food bank are being terrorised by a convicted petty criminal who keeps getting arrested but returns within hours of being released by the courts.
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Last Friday, staff at the Dawley Christian Centre & Methodist Church had to dial 999 after the individual, who cannot be named for legal reasons, threatened volunteers and demanded a food parcel, meant for the needy.
The 43-year-old was arrested, charged and appeared before Kidderminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday, yet hours after being bailed he was back in Dawley and had to be re-arrested after threatening the volunteers again
It wasn't the first time the individual, who has multiple convictions for an array of antisocial behaviour and petty criminality, had terrorised staff there.
One Dawley local, who doesn't want to be named due to fear of reprisals, said people at the church were "terrified" of the individual.
He said: “He comes in all the time and is very threatening. He is not entitled to food parcels but staff give them him anyway as they don't want to set him off.
“He's one of those individuals who can be calm one minute then the next he just kicks off – it is like a flick of a switch. Everybody is terrified of him and the church can't ban him from the premises because of fear he'll take it out on the staff. They are all volunteers and many of them are elderly.
“Last week he came in and kicked off. And staff had no option but to call 999.”
