This is the shocking moment a brazen pickpocket tries to steal a woman’s purse while she walks near London‘s Oxford Street.
The crook working together with another female is seen following the victim down the pavement.
As they get close to her one of them tries to unzip her backpack.
But luckily the tourist victim notices and turns around in shock.
She and another woman she is with then step to the side to let the pair of pickpockets by.
The attempted theft happened near Oxford Street, in central London at 5 pm on Saturday, February 17.
The famous shopping street is Europe’s busiest shopping street and a hotspot for tourists.
One eye-witness filmed the shocking moment.
He said: ‘She attempted to take a purse from the bag.
‘But the victim felt it. I advised the victim to report it to the police.
‘Oxford Street is crawling with pickpockets.’
Westminster is the borough of London with the most recorded number of pickpocketing thefts in the past year, according to the Evening Standard.
It had a staggering 20,871, with Camden second at 5,301, and Southwark third at 4,287.
Kensington & Chelsea came fourth on 2,962, Islington fifth with 2,820 and Harrington sixth on 3,160.
The theft comes after a similar video captured two well-dressed women pickpocketing from a shopper’s bag in the middle of a crowded Piccadilly Circus at Christmas time.
Local Tracey Billingham joked: ‘I’d put a mouse trap in the bag, try that.’
Peter Thorpe fumed: ‘Lawless Britain.’
One – named Layla – said: ‘Don’t use a backpack or swing it to the front.’
Another said: ‘I live in London and I got pickpocketed, £100 just lost like that.
‘But at least not phone and keys.’
The Met Police has been approached for comment.
In April a pickpocket prevention expert, Lee Thompson, told MailOnline the ways to spot a pickpocket that all people should look out for.
He said: ‘If there is a gang of people getting off and on the train or watching people… be vigilant.
‘If someone is standing very close to you, be wary that they might be digitally pickpocketing you by drawing out your information.’
Other things to look out for include thieves trying to ‘distract’ their victims at cash points ‘by dropping coins’ on the floor as their target puts in their PIN code.
‘The person will snatch your card so be aware of your surroundings.
‘Never go to the hole in the wall, always walk into your bank and take out cash that way,’ he added.
People should also be wary of potential thieves using scooters, bikes or mopeds to carry out snatch and grabs – and the spotters on the street who will be looking to target future victims.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/articles.rss
Cameron Roy
