Watch as cycling phone thief snatches mobile from woman’s hand on London street – just one of the 248 devices that are stolen EVERY day in the UK capital
- Balaclavaed thug grabbed it from the pedestrian near Tower Bridge, in London
- The lady was left reeling in shock as she suddenly found her hands empty
This is the shocking moment a tourist had her phone snatched from her hand by a masked cyclist.
The balaclavaed thug – who was dressed completely in black – reached onto the pavement and grabbed it from the pedestrian as he dashed across the crossing on the wrong side of the road near Tower Bridge, in London.
Riding a black mountain bike, the rider left the lady reeling in shock as she suddenly found her hands empty.
The incident – which was captured by a passing cyclist on May 23 – is one of thousands on the capital’s streets every year.
A phone was reported stolen in the capital every six minutes last year, the BBC revealed.
The balaclavaed thug – who was dressed completely in black – reached onto the pavement and grabbed it from the pedestrian as he dashed across the crossing on the wrong side of the road near Tower Bridge, in London
The incident took place just South of Tower Bridge on May 23, outside the Pommeler’s Rest pub
The cyclist who took the video – who had a camera on his helmet and sped off out of fear that his own phone would be taken – later returned and found the woman so she could hand his footage across to the police.
The 32-year-old – who works in financial services – was on his way to a friend’s house in Lewisham, south London, from his home in Stratford.
He said: ‘It was shocking to see it that close. I’ve shown it to a few friends and they’ve all had similar reactions – it’s so quick, and you think: “How can I gear myself to not do that?”
‘I think they were an American couple, so not a great experience for them being in London. She was very shocked. They had run after them.
‘It is concerning. It was in broad daylight. It brings it home a bit more because you think London’s a safe place during the day and you just won’t go out on your own at night.
‘And then you see the very crime you’re trying to avoid at night during the day.
‘This was at about 6pm, it was in front of the best part of 100 people looking to cross that junction.
‘Clearly, they’re so brazen – they just do it anyway.’
Riding a black mountain bike, the rider left the lady reeling in shock as she suddenly found her hands empty
The incident – which was captured by a passing cyclist – is one of thousands on the capital’s streets every year
There were nearly 91,000 phones snatched from Londoners in 2022 – at an average of 248 a day.
And only two per cent of the stolen devices have been recovered.
In January this year there were a further 8,500 reports, with just 199 recovered.
Westminster had the highest number of reports in the capital – with nearly 26,000.
And the London borough of Southwark – where the theft took place – was the third highest with 5,690 in 2022.
Talking about the shocking incident, the cyclist continued: ‘It crystalises it – you see it in the news and then you actually see it happen. Certainly when it gets dark I’m starting to feel more like a prime target.
‘It makes you think – if you lost your phone, your access to everything, and you’re not with someone, you’re suddenly that crazy person saying: “Can I have your phone?”
‘They’re balaclavaed up, all in black, I think they circled – they may have seen her. They’re out there to get your phone. They’re organised and they make a quick escape.’
There were nearly 91,000 phones snatched from Londoners in 2022 – at an average of 248 a day
The Metropolitan Police said: ‘Unfortunately, we know that opportunistic criminals will target victims with mobile phones, which continues to be the most sought after property for robbers.
‘Every robbery has a significant impact on the victim, and leaves long-term implications.
‘We would urge members of the public to remain vigilant, aware of your surroundings, and keeping valuables such as mobile phones out of sight.
‘If you have been a victim of a robbery, please contact the police as soon as possible.’
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