Easy interviews, tough interviews.

Today, I spoke to a mum who believes her son has been groomed and sexually abused.

As I've said before, there are easy interviews and there are tough interviews.

She described to me today the way a man systematically befriended her lad - offering him alcohol, drugs and the like - before sexually assaulting him.

The man she believes did this to her child is in court soon-ish.

We'll be there to see the outcome.

If he's convicted we'll ask the police for his mugshot and we'll do the works on him.

Today, I just wanted to meet her face to face so we could talk through how the court thing works when there will be newspaper interest in the outcome.

I said several times that victims are never identified, that we will want to print her words, not her name.

I'm not sure she knew this is how it works.

I'd assumed, with all the support for victims and their families nowadays, someone would be telling her this.

I just didn't think it would be me.

I write some words, people read them and a man in need gets help. Simple.

I'm made up. Writing for newspapers really is the business to be in.

It seems I've helped drum up support for the campaign to raise the rather daunting £100,000 city police officer David Robinson needs for cancer treatment.

David and his fiancee, Almina tell me that there's been a good response to the stories I've done so far. I'll keep writing them for as long as necessary.

The stories were also picked by the the local TV and radio people and their viewers and listeners have chipped in too apparently.

The picture above was taken for the Merc when David and Almina dropped in to meet Team Robinson, the police colleagues at Mansfield House station who are going all out to raise money.

Having said that, these two are clearly surrounded by loving family and friends who are doing more than their bit to let people know about this campaign.

To read David's story and to make a donation, go to:

www.davidleerobinson.co.uk

There's also a huge Facebook group.

This man was mugged for some tobacco and loose change.

Once again, criminals have shown how they can turn our stomachs when they put their minds to it.

This 67-year-old man was jumped when he let his dog out for a wander and a wee outside his home in Saffron Lane.

I've been up to his neighbourhood this morning and chatted to some of his neighbours, most of them in their 60s and 70s.

Understandably some of them said they were pretty scared but the overwhelming emotion was anger.

I don't know if my words amount to much on occasions like this, but I did point out that I've been covering the crime beat for some years now and I've only covered a handful of cases like this.

Probably three or four in eight years in fact.

The simple truth is that violence against the elderly is rare.

For whatever reason, robbery, assault etc are younger people's sports.

PS: Three people have been arrested in connection with this one. They've been released on bail while the investigation goes on.

These are the toughest stories to write. Really.

Dave Robinson is a young CSO in the city centre. He's 28-years-old, is engaged to be married and his girl is expecting their first child.

He also has a number of 'aggressive' tumours.

I've written a couple of stories about Dave's situation over the past month or so and been struck - not for the first time - by the way people in the police 'family' stick together.

It's also clear he is surrounded by a loving bunch of family and friends.

There's loads of fundraising going on right now because there is a treatment available in the US which could help him.

I also hear well-wishers' letters and cheques are arriving at Mansfield House police station in the city centre at a steady rate.

He's just so young.

Writing stories about seriously nasty crimes can be hard sometimes, but I get by.

I'd forgotten how tough it is writing about someone who is very poorly.

This picture above shows Dave meeting Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson the other week. The club were great hosts, particularly the man they call 'Birch'.

If you want to read more of Dave's story and to make a donation to the £100,000 appeal go to:

www.davidleerobinson.co.uk

There is also a huge group on Facebook. Visit that too.

Sorry I should have posted this information a few weeks back, but keeping this blog as up to date as it should be has been a bit of a struggle just recently.