No doubt she is using the money she collects for drugs not formula, but the things she is doing now sound really bizarre - saying her baby is dead and that she'll kill herself unless someone gives her money - I do think she needs some help, and that it is possible that she has kids, in which case they certainly need help.

I rang Social Services who said they needed to know the woman's name and where she lives before they could do anything, and that the community police team would need to get those details from her. The police of course can only do that if someone tells them where she is at a given time.

If anyone spots her and would like to help get a referral to Social Services, please ring the police number 101 and quote ref CHS3210, and the community police team will send someone to talk to her.

I have seen her in Catford also in Woolstone Road and more recently near the Tesco Express on Perry Hill. But I have no idea where she lives.

The police said they would come out immediately if someone rings them when they spot her, saying where she is and quoting that reference. I'll do it if I can, but it would great if anyone else on the forum felt happy to do it when they see her, as I haven't come across her for a few weeks. Thanks.

She used to live in the three store building opposite Ackroyd Community Centre. Maybe they would be able to help.

Several years ago when I encountered her for the first time and gave 50p she was outraged this was not enough.

Just to ask if anyone else walking towards Honor Oak junction from South Circular was accosted by an elderly English woman asking for money? Another passerby gave her some small change and I did too; don't know if she is a resident of Honorlea but seemed to be a rather hoarse and slightly agitated. This happened just after midday today.

She was outside the post office on Brockley Rise the other day - most people just walked away from her - rightly so! Believe she is from Honor Lea

A woman matching this description was trying my letterbox this evening (on Devonshire Road). I have pretty good security but worth warning everyone. I described her as a smartly dressed black woman around 40 years old with cornrows...is this the formula lady?
She was very quietly getting a feel around my letterbox and trying to get her hand in! I looked through the peep hole and she scampered off...very worrying.

Not too sure if it's the same person, but a woman who is similar in description and actions did the same scam on my mother in Rye Lane, Peckham last weekend, including exposing a lactating breast.

I too was accosted by said woman near 'Yaaal' shop.
She exposed her boob and lactated.
Same story as posted previously.
Quite a disturbing experience!

p.s. weirdly this is my first post, as I have recently moved to the area. hello!

Hi Vancouver, that's not a very nice welcome to the area! Don't worry, it's not always this exciting.

I'm glad my husband wasn't the only person who felt more sympathy than cynicism, even though I berated him for it! Hopefully this woman will get help soon, or be made to stop depending on what causes her to do this.

I've been approached by her twice last month around the bottom of Woolstone Road area and she asked me if i wanted some business and i burst out laughing . She is obviously a drug addict and it seems got some mental health issues.

It appears this woman (middle aged black lady) is active again as I had an encounter with her early Friday evening just under the railway bridge near Catford station. She was extremely distressed, asked me for money for formula milk, told me her baby had died the day before and exposed one of her breasts to me to 'prove' she wasn't lying. All rather contradictory. She also told me she'd been driven to prostitution, had been hit by a man and that she was suicidal.

I mentioned her to a community officer I saw on the street half an hour later who is aware of this lady and encouraged me to call 101 to report it which I did. If anyone else encounters her if you report it straight away (unlike me) then there is more chance she can be tracked down and helped.

This sounds remarkably like a woman who used to run the same line in Crofton Park about 11-12 years ago. One time, I saw a nice lady buying some formula milk in the Co-Op there and within five minutes she was trying to sell it in the street.

She clearly needs help, but she'll never get it whilst people keep giving her money which she then immediately spends on crack, I'm guessing.

I came across her Christmas Eve in Catford Market. The line was, her baby had just died and she needed money for flowers for the funeral. I asked her when the funeral was, at first she said in a month's time, then she said two weeks time.
I could hear her telling another woman who later passed by that she needed money for baby formula milk.

This post was last modified: 31-12-2013 06:54 PM by Poppet2.

She was on Catford Hill one day asking for money because it is Christmas.