‘I cannot believe that the police would not regard an assault as an emergency’

• I AM a female approaching 60.

At approximately 3pm on Saturday April 27 I returned home from an emergency appointment with a doctor, having had an operation on my leg two days before.

On my doorstep in Coram Street, a 20-something woman was sitting blocking the entrance to my building.

I asked her to move as it was impossible to pass her due to my leg which I could not bend. She said I could f***ing pass her.

When I did I accidentally touched her shopping bag. This sent her into a fit of rage. She stood up, kicked me in the chest, then as I turned, kicked me in the back.

I had my iPhone in my hand and managed to take some photos, after which she punched the phone out of my hand.

I then called 999.

Though a follow-up text message from the police said they would arrive within 60 minutes, no one turned up.

I went online to try to upload the photos but the online form had no means of doing so.

I dialled 101 only to receive the message that it closes at 4pm on a Saturday. Meanwhile the woman could be seen in the Brunswick Centre.

At midnight, having had a difficult two hours getting off to sleep due to the pain in my leg, I was woken by a phone call from the police: “we’re responding to your earlier call” the policeman said.

I couldn’t believe it and hung up.

I was then called at seven in the morning, also by the police.

When I was told, “we work 24 hours” all I could think of responding, in my sleepy state was: “well I don’t!”

I was also sent an email from the police from a no-reply service on Sunday saying they would visit me at 4pm to see the photos I had taken.

Again, no one showed up.

I cannot believe that the police would not regard an assault as an emergency and that they are so disinterested in receiving information which could lead to an immediate arrest they make it impossible to pass on this information.

I am also puzzled why they think it justifiable to telephone a victim during anti-social hours. I would never call any family member or friend after 9.30pm or before 9am so do the police think they are justified in doing so?

It looks very much like victim blaming; and in some countries would be regarded as discrimination.

I have always kept my phone on in case of a family emergency, but for the first time I have had to set it to “Do Not Disturb”, the disturbance being the Metropolitan police who are happy to telephone members of the public when it suits them but not to turn up when an actual crime is being committed.

I hope this warns other people to not have any expectation of getting help should you too be attacked.

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED, WC1