UK UK - Martin Allen, 15, London England, 1979

[ChocolateChip]

Whilst Vishal Mehrotra is forgotten by all. A crime that occurred in the UK. Just an innocent child like the rest.

 

[dotr]

Whilst Vishal Mehrotra is forgotten by all. A crime that occurred in the UK. Just an innocent child like the rest.

Welcome to Ws ChocolateChip!
Ws thread for Vishal..
UK - UK - Vishal Mehrotra, 8, West London, 29 Jul 1981, found deceased in Rogate, West Sussex, 1982

 

[WestLondoner]

I find this quite intriguing because in summer 1978, aged 14, I was approached on the Tube by a paedophile.

I was on the Metropolitan Line heading into town accompanied by another kid of similar age. The latter was French staying with on us on an exchange visit. He did not understand a lot of English. We used to go into town unaccompanied, as you did in the 70s, for him to go shopping and see the London sights. So it was probably mid-morning and the carriage was largely empty apart from us.

At somewhere like Harrow on the Hill, this bloke got on and sat down right next to us. He was 45 to 50, bald, scruffy, and squat, with a paunch. I remember this because he resembled a teacher I disliked at my previous school (this was not the same man). He immediately struck up a conversation, which turned rapidly to what sort of pr0n did I like and if I wanted and was nice to him, he could get me a nice girl. I froze and blanked him and he left the train shortly after. French kid was aware of some by play and outraged when I explained what had been happening. My assumption now is that if I had gone along with this I would have come to possibly very serious harm.

I never heard about Martin Allen at the time. I do wonder if this was the same perp or an associate, with a similar MO - the attempted pickup on the Tube, in broad daylight, a year or so earlier. It's the wrong quadrant of London but by Tube most of London is close to most of the rest of it. At 14 I was not at all streetwise and knew it. I wonder if someone like Martin Allen, who was a bit of latchkey kid or perhaps in today's terms a bit under-parented, was less streetwise than he thought, and maybe became a victim in consequence.

 

[Cluedinho]

In earlier posts, I think there was some confusion over Lennie Smith and Leonard Smith, sadly two vile offenders with the same name.

Regardless, for sometime I've thought there is a striking similarity between the photofit (not the artist impression) of the Martin Allen suspect, and convicted paedophile Dennis Ward:
scepticpeg: Image

Dennis Ward – Plymouth

Ward was believed to have been offending since the 60s, and committed most of his offences in North London. His conviction was at the same time as Brian Turner, a known associate of Sidney Cooke. Ward's age doesn't quite stack up with description, as he would have been in his forties in 1979 as opposed to thirties in reports, but ages estimates can be subjective. Ward is almost certainly dead now, was supposed to have only months to live when convicted, but forgive me for not taking that claim at face value.
Charity warning on child safety

BBC News | UK | 'Chickenmaster' gets 12 years

I cannot begin to imagine the ordeal Martin's family have been through over the past 42 years.

 

[Cluedinho]

I find this quite intriguing because in summer 1978, aged 14, I was approached on the Tube by a paedophile....

Chilling to hear your recollection. I have a vivid memory of being stalked in an enclosed bus station some years later whilst at school, I can still see the fella's eyes, face, clothes and demeanour almost thirty years later. I was similar age to Martin, and seriously expect I would have frozen too if he'd made any form of contact.

 

[Jackster]

I find this quite intriguing because in summer 1978, aged 14, I was approached on the Tube by a paedophile.

I was on the Metropolitan Line heading into town accompanied by another kid of similar age. The latter was French staying with on us on an exchange visit. He did not understand a lot of English. We used to go into town unaccompanied, as you did in the 70s, for him to go shopping and see the London sights. So it was probably mid-morning and the carriage was largely empty apart from us.

At somewhere like Harrow on the Hill, this bloke got on and sat down right next to us. He was 45 to 50, bald, scruffy, and squat, with a paunch. I remember this because he resembled a teacher I disliked at my previous school (this was not the same man). He immediately struck up a conversation, which turned rapidly to what sort of pr0n did I like and if I wanted and was nice to him, he could get me a nice girl. I froze and blanked him and he left the train shortly after. French kid was aware of some by play and outraged when I explained what had been happening. My assumption now is that if I had gone along with this I would have come to possibly very serious harm.

I never heard about Martin Allen at the time. I do wonder if this was the same perp or an associate, with a similar MO - the attempted pickup on the Tube, in broad daylight, a year or so earlier. It's the wrong quadrant of London but by Tube most of London is close to most of the rest of it. At 14 I was not at all streetwise and knew it. I wonder if someone like Martin Allen, who was a bit of latchkey kid or perhaps in today's terms a bit under-parented, was less streetwise than he thought, and maybe became a victim in consequence.

Wow luckily you had not become a victim, it could well have been him I had heard that was what had happened to Martin Allen ?

 

[Jackster]

I am actually trying to get hold of Martin Allen is missing book by Anton Gill, can’t get copy of it anywhere think it is out of print

 

[WestLondoner]

Can't help with that title but thriftbooks.com allows you (I think) to register interest in OOP books, so when one comes into stock, you get notified.

 

[Jackster]

Can't help with that title but thriftbooks.com allows you (I think) to register interest in OOP books, so when one comes into stock, you get notified.

I sent email to author, waiting to hear back, thanks I will check thrift books out also