Dannii Pickstock said a man followed her and stared at her for about 10 minutes near Mountbatten Shopping Centre in Hebburn on Wednesday morning. The Evening Chronicle report centres on her account of the encounter, which ended after her husband went outside and challenged the man.
The 35-year-old, who runs Viking Gym in Hebburn, said the man approached her just before 8am and told her, "I’m here to meet you, Your name is Deena". When she told him he had the wrong person, he kept staring and came closer when she asked him to leave her alone.
Viking Gym in Hebburn
Pickstock said her husband went outside and told the man to leave, then shouted at him for about 10 minutes while she remained outside the gym. The man eventually left the area, but she said he stayed in the shopping precinct and drank a number of cups of coffee before he went.
She later said anyone feeling unsafe near the gym can come in for safety, whether they are a member or not. "If anyone else is in that situation and they are near our gym they can feel free to come in for safety." She added, "I want everybody to be able to do that whether they are a member or not."
Northumbria Police report
Pickstock reported the man's behaviour to Northumbria Police. The force said officers attended but were unable to locate a man matching the description provided, and gave the reference number NP-20261021-0188.
Northumbria Police said enquiries are ongoing into the report. Pickstock said the episode has left her wary, adding, "It has made me feel wary. Everybody just needs to be a bit more aware."
Hebburn shopping precinct
Pickstock said the man kept staring through her husband at her and that the encounter would have felt different if it had happened elsewhere. "Luckily he picked the wrong premises, he didn't know I owned the gym," she said. "Had it happened further up the road I don't know what I would have done."
For now, the practical step for anyone nearby is straightforward: if they feel unsafe, Pickstock says the gym is open from 6am and available as a place to go in for safety.
