Dog Theft Attempt

Share this story!

A LEIGH pensioner suffered a terrifying ordeal when a pair of joggers approached him near Belfairs Park Woods and tried to wrest his dog from him.

Alan Freeman, 80, was walking his terrier Coco down Park View Drive on the morning of Sunday March 26 when a man and a woman ran towards him.

The male jogger ran right up and grabbed Coco’s lead and started yanking it away from Mr Freeman in an attempt to yank the lead from his hands, with a force that left Mr Freeman with a blistered hand.

The pair then ran off.

Mr Freeman told Leigh-on-Sea News: “I was walking halfway up Park View Drive on the left-hand side.

Two people, both about 28 to 30 years of age, ran towards me and the man reached over and grabbed the lead and yanked it three times.

“I shouted at him to leave my dog alone, and the man spun me round before they both ran off.

“He had pulled the lead so hard that I got a blister on my hand, and the harness had completely come off Coco.

“I had to quickly put the lead back on her and when I turned back, they had disappeared.

“By the time I got home I was so upset, I was shaking.”

Mr Freeman recalls the woman was wearing a blue top, and the man, who he described as of muscular yet thin build, wore a grey hooded top.

He added: “I’m 80, but it’s a good job I’m fit and healthy.

“We are a largely elderly neighbourhood, so someone else could have been more injured.”

Mr Freeman added that it was not the first time he had seen the pair: “Around this time last year I saw the same pair running in this area. They ran towards me on the grass verge and I had to step into the road to let them pass.

“I don’t know if this recent incident was because they wanted to take my dog, or they just wanted to upset me.”

Mr Freeman is doing all he can to alert the rest of the area to the dangers of the pair: “I reported this incident to the police, and I also have been knocking on doors in my neighbourhood to alert other dog walkers in the district to the danger.”

Coun Alan dear of Belfair’s Ward was shocked to hear of the incident. He said: “It’s very concerning to hear of this. I hope Mr Freeman is ok.

“It is usually a very quiet and safe area, but I will raise this with our group and put a notice on the Belfairs Conservative Facebook page to raise awareness.”

A spokesperson from Essex Police said: “We are investigating a common assault that occurred in Leigh.

“An elderly man who was walking his dog in Park View Drive on Sunday March 26 reported being approached by a man who tried to grab the dog lead out of the man’s hand before running off.

“Anyone with any information should call 101 and quote crime reference 42/54179/23.”

Share this story!

A LEIGH pensioner suffered a terrifying ordeal when a pair of joggers approached him near Belfairs Park Woods and tried to wrest his dog from him.

about author