Downham mum hunts down daughter's muggers after police do 'nothing'

And it is believed Kelly Scott’s efforts have led to two teenage girls being charged with a string of other offences.

Ms Scott, of Bromley Road, Downham, said she was forced to act after 12-year-old daughter Blue had her phone stolen at knifepoint in New Cross Gate bus station.

She said: “The police stuck us in the car, and drove us around for five minutes looking for them before they got bored of it.

“They gave us no crime number, no nothing. I heard nothing from Lewisham police station from the night it happened.”

Ms Scott claims Blue was left traumatised by the incident and calls to police from her and ward councillor Duwayne Brooks were getting nowhere.

She said: “I felt pretty hopeless as a mother.

"So I went out on the streets and got a few other people inquiring.

“By the end I had their names, addresses and everything.”

She quickly found out the girls’ names and one of their numbers from a shared friend and got contacts in the area to ask around, including her sister who works at a nearby beauty salon.

The 33-year-old amateur detective picked up leads taking her to Hilly Fields and a hostel, all while “terrorising” one of the girls with calls and texts.

And one week later she finally managed to meet them outside The Venue nightclub in Clifton Rise, where they handed the phone back and apologised to her daughter.

The next day she had a phone call from police officers asking for Blue to come in and give a statement.

She said: “The police were quite shocked that I’d got the phone back.

“I said to him ‘just call me supermum, because I’ve done it’.”

“I told them ‘I’m a very persistent mother. I basically went out there and did your job for you’.”

She said: “It only took me one week. If it wasn’t for me these two would probably be running around traumatising other girls.

“Mums need to know. You don’t have to sit there feeling helpless. You’ve just got to be a good detective — like me.”

How texts and calls got the phone back.

She said: “Once I had their number I wouldn’t stop phoning them. I said ‘what you’ve done is terrible’.

“They were texting me back, trying to get a bit gobby as kids do.

"I said ‘I’m not a mum to be messed about with. I’m not going to let you upset my daughter’s life.’

“I said ‘this is the wrong family to be messing with.’

"I told her she was going to prison and pretended I’d been to prison myself and it wasn’t a very nice place.

"I left a message saying ‘You’re a big girl to rob my daughter. Be a big girl and pick your phone up.’ Eventually she did.”