A 16-year-old cyclist snatched a woman’s smartphone while she was taking pictures of her daughter (4 photos + 2 videos)
In the Feb. 25 video, the mother stands at the sidewalk as her daughter poses for photos. At this moment, a cyclist passes and snatches the smartphone from the woman’s hands. This is another example of the crimes sweeping London. 
According to a police report, a smartphone is stolen every 6 minutes in the British capital. Londoners lost almost 91,000 phones in 2022, an average of 248 per day, with only two per cent of stolen devices ever recovered. 
Police caught a 16-year-old thief in Bethnal Green after they saw him throw his phone. He was arrested and the device was taken away. The woman's daughter saw through the app that the iPhone was at the police station. She went to get it, but the smartphone was badly damaged by the fall. 
The teenager pleaded guilty to theft at Stratford Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, May 21. For four months, he must be at his home from 7 pm to 7 am. Police also banned him from the City of London, Westminster, Kensington, Chelsea and Islington. His parents were ordered to pay £1,000 compensation to the injured party.
Constable Monika Furmanska commented: “If you commit phone theft in the City, be prepared for a tough response as the crime will be recorded by our extensive network of cameras. In this case, the victims were not able to return the smartphone in its original condition, but we are pleased that the court awarded compensation ".
Shop owners suspected of buying stolen gadgets are also being raided. And to fight against thieves, the police again created a cycling team.
Every week, law enforcement seizes five illegal e-bikes and scooters that are known to be used by phone thieves.
