More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
I took a trip up to London last weekend, timing my run with a gloomy, chilly drizzly day to perfection.
A couple of days before I’d set off, I’d seen a news report about how the Met Police had ‘cracked down’ on those hoodlums who cycle past unsuspecting folks and pinch their mobile phones.
It’s a particularly annoying crime – the very epitome of modern-day highwaymen. They sweep in on their trusty steeds (normally a push bike or moped), their faces covered, snatch a phone out of an unsuspecting victim’s hands and flee within seconds.
It’s cowardly and exploits those who dare to use a device we’ve all become wedded to. Victims are, quite wrongly, made to feel guilty about using their phones in public.
Thankfully, this pathetic crimewave hasn’t – as yet – left the capital’s borders and infected our county. I fear it is only a matter of time before it does.
But heading into the city from Kent, it’s easy to assume a visitor stepping foot outside a mainland London train station will see swarms of these ne’er do wells circling waiting for their next victim.
You don’t, of course. But it was only a few hours into my jaunt that I witnessed them in full effect. And it was deeply unsettling.
Strolling just off one of the main thoroughfares at around 9pm-ish, on a well-lit street, close to Blackfriars Bridge and a plethora of fancy hotels, restaurants and bars, I was suddenly aware of a flurry of people on bicycles.
Now, let’s be clear, in London this is no unusual thing. There are cyclists everywhere you look at pretty much all times of the day – and on a chilly and wet February Saturday, they were all wrapped up against the elements. Most, of course, are just going from A to B while trying to stay warm and dry.
The couple pulling up near me were clearly food delivery folk – their branded bags on clear show - so I didn’t take a whole lot of notice. The crime antenna in my brain beeping but set only at ‘be alert’ rather than ‘run!’.
But just yards away, and unconnected to those next to me, there were a handful of youngsters, hoodies up, when one suddenly approached a young woman and made a snatch for her phone. He missed, but they swarmed away as she exclaimed.
Someone closer by gave chase but the would-be crooks were away before he’d had a chance to get anywhere close. One can only assume they were off to try again elsewhere.
It was all so quick, their faces covered, it was absolutely impossible – had they succeeded - to think of any sort of description you could provide.
They approached from behind, made a grab for the phone and were off into the night. As an observer you can only watch on in stunned amazement at the sheer audacity.
Only luck prevented her from being added to the theft statistics. An almost impossible offence to combat. An even more challenging one to try and solve.
Pray Kent doesn’t import this particularly vile crime.
