Eltham Bingo Hall
A gang of thieves who carried out a £50,000 spate of violent robberies on security vans across southeast London have been jailed.
The four-strong organised crime group rushed guards carrying cash boxes as they made deliveries to Post Offices, a Co-Op, and a Mecca Bingo Hall.
- The New Eltham Social Club was founded in September 1892. It moved from its original leased home in Footscray Road (now occupied by Dance Wise above the Co-op supermarket), after purchasing 32 Avery Hill Road in January 1901.
- Licensed and regulated by The Gambling Commission under licence 2396 for customer playing in our land-based bingo clubs. Mecca Bingo is part of the Rank Group. MECCA® and the MECCA logos are registered trade marks of Rank Leisure Holdings Ltd. Please gamble responsibly.
The future of the Mecca Bingo hall in Eltham Hill looks a little brighter after residents campaigning to keep a popular bingo hall open in South London have been reassured that the venue is not of the bingo venues targeted for closure. The New Eltham Social Club was founded in September 1892. It moved from its original leased home in Footscray Road (now occupied by Dance Wise above the Co-op supermarket), after purchasing 32 Avery Hill Road in January 1901.
They managed to get away with £28,000 in the final raid, but were captured by the Met’s Flying Squad following a high-speed chase.
At Woolwich crown court on Friday, Kieran Beazley, 33, Sam Holmes, 29, Sanchez Williams, 32, and David Leadbeater, 31, were all jailed after admitting conspiracy to rob.
The group, who all have a string of previous convictions, wore masks and gloves as they carried out the robberies between February and June this year.
A security guard was ambushed outside a Post Office in Mottingham on March 4, with one of the robbers – believes to be Beazley – “barging” him and grabbing the cash box.
© Provided by Evening Standard Kieran BeazleyMPSAnother of the gang was brandishing a screwdriver as they fled, driving away in a stolen Ranger Rover Evoque which was later found abandoned.
They struck again on June 4 at a Co-Op in Blackfen, southeast London, arriving in a white van with false numberplates before “violently barging the guard into the railings at the front of the shop”, said the Met.
A cash box containing £12,500 was briefly stolen, but the guard – together with a member of the public – tackled one of the thieves and retrieved the money.
Eight days later they carried out a robbery on a security van at New Eltham Post Office, but the Flying Squad was already lying in wait.
Beazley, Holmes and Williams emerged from their stolen vehicle and “sprinted towards the guard”, with Beazley rugby-tackling him to the ground to steal the cash box containing £28,000.
© Provided by Evening Standard Sam HolmesMPSLeadbeater was the getaway driver, but their van was eventually stopped after crashing into pursuing police vehicles.
Beazley and Holmes are also believed to have been the robbers who ambushed a van outside a Mecca Bingo Hall in Eltham on February 17, when almost £7,000 was stolen.
Beazley, from Eltham, admitted three counts of conspiracy to rob, two counts of handling stolen goods, robbery, and three charges of driving while disqualified, and was jailed for ten years and eight months.
Williams, of New Cross, received a sentence of seven years and eight months, and Leadbeater, from Plumstead was jailed for ten years and eight months, after they both admitted involvement in three of the robberies.
Holmes, from Mottingham, pleaded guilty to one of the robberies and was jailed for 11-and-a-half years.
Detective Inspector Gail Lilley, of Central Specialist Crime, called the robbers “career criminals” adding: “We have put a stop to their criminal activities and taken dangerous criminals off the street.'
Important Details
- Address: Eltham Hill, Greenwich, SE9 5ED
- Phone Number: 02088 503767
- Email: manager_mecelthamhill@rank.com
- Website: www.meccabingo.com
Opening Times
| Day | Open Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 10 AM – 12 AM |
| Tuesday | 10 AM – 12 AM |
| Wednesday | 10 AM – 12 AM |
| Thursday | 10 AM – 12 AM |
| Friday | 10 AM – 12 AM |
| Saturday | 10 AM – 12 AM |
| Sunday | 11 AM – 12 AM |
Session Times
| Day | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thur | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | 10am | 10am | 10am | 10am | 10am | 10am | 11am |
| Afternoon | 12pm | 12pm | 12pm | 12pm | 12pm | 12pm | 12pm |
| Evening | 6pm | 6:20pm | 6:20pm | 6:20pm | 6:20pm | 6:20pm | 6pm |
Session Prices
Prices start from as little as £1 and go up to £15. Morning bingo is £5 every day and Popingo is also £5 a session. There is a main event that takes place every evening which costs £10 Monday to Thursday and £15 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The optional extras usually cost £1 – £2 each.
A full listing of times and prices can be found here on the official site. Alternatively, feel free to email or phone the club for further assistance.
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Latest Pictures
A picture of the club from the outside.
Gearing up for some fun X-mas games.
back to menu ↑About Mecca Eltham
Mecca Eltham is located on the appropriately named Eltham Hill Road in Greenwich. The club boasts lots of great facilities, including regular bingo and electronic bingo games (Mecca Max), hearing loop, disabled toilets and access, a bar, freshly prepared food from their diner and elusive car parking spaces to the rear.
With prices starting from just £1, it is one of London’s most affordable bingo halls, so why not head down today? It most definitely won’t break the bank.
Eltham Bingo Hall Bingo
It’s always worth checking out the official Facebook page and Twitter, club staff are frequently active on both of them, posting special offer deals and promotions often. If you have any questions, however, it’s always advised to give them a call or email them, details on how to do so are listed above.