CCTV footage captures the shocking moment a brazen thief swipes unsuspecting drinker’s bag in busy restaurant
- Shocking theft takes just 10 seconds and neither of the two men eating realise
This is the shocking moment a brazen thief swiped an unsuspecting drinker’s bag in a busy restaurant.
The theft – which happens at the plush Bloomberg arcade in central London – takes just 10 seconds and neither of the two men eating realise the black rucksack has gone.
The thief takes the bag in plain sight – in full view of other diners in the food hall.
CCTV footage captures the shocking moment a brazen thief swipes bag in busy restaurant
City of London Police said: ‘This CCTV footage might seem unbelievable, but it was a real crime in the City.
‘Bag thieves will use any opportunity to steal your belongings.
The theft – which happens at the plush Bloomberg arcade in central London – takes just 10 seconds and neither of the two men eating realise the black rucksack has gone
The flagrant thief looks around, before idly sidling up to the rucksack and slowly pulling it back from the chair with his foot
‘If you’re out tonight, know where your bag is at all times, and if you see anyone acting suspiciously, contact the police.’
Wearing a bight blue polo shirt and appearing to talk on the phone, the attacker can be seen spotting the bag.
It sits casually on the floor beside its owner, as they have a conversation over food and a drink.
The flagrant thief looks around, before idly sidling up to the rucksack and slowly pulling it back from the chair with his foot.
After looking up again to check he has not been spotted, he casually picks it up and wanders off at a fast pace.
He leaves behind the poor victim utterly unaware that his possessions have been taken, as the pair carry on with tehir conversation as if nothing has happened.
After looking up again to check he has not been spotted, he casually picks it up and wanders off at a fast pace
He leaves behind the poor victim utterly unaware that his possessions have been taken
There were more than 12,350 bags stolen in London between December 2022 and February 2023, shocking FOI data from TimeOut revealed.
This included 4,360 in the festive month and 4,120 in the first few weeks of the year.
The highest number of bag thefts from any borough comes in Westminster, where 3,032 were taken in just three months – nearly a third of all taken in London over that time.
And some pubs in the West End see as many as ten thefts every month.
