Bristol has seen a worrying spike in phone snatching incidents, with over a dozen cases reported just this week. Two individuals on an electric motorbike, have been preying on unsuspecting pedestrians at bus stops and crossing points.
Both people have their faces covered and clad all in black, while the pillion rider grabs the phones. Despite increased police presence, the suspects remain at large but officers have found discarded SIM cards and phone cases.
Incidents have been reported across Colston Avenue, The Horsefair, Park Street, Prince Street, Redcliff Hill, Rupert Street, St Augustine’s Parade, Union Street, and Whiteladies Road.
Neighbourhood Sergeant Sean Underwood said: “We’re targeting our uniformed patrols in the area and have alerted schools, colleges and the university to make their students aware, as many of the victims are young people.
“Officers are also linked in with Bristol City Council’s CCTV team to make sure any suspicious activity is reported immediately.”
He added: “We’d like to thank the members of the public who stepped in and called 999 on behalf of the victims. Thankfully we’re not aware of anyone being injured, but understandably people have been left shocked by what’s happened.”
Sergeant Underwood also expressed gratitude towards public members who dialled 999 to help victims and noted that while no injuries have been reported, the incidents have left many in shock. A total of 23 similar incidents have been recorded up to 16 October, affecting mostly teenagers and those in their twenties, but older individuals have also fallen victim.
If you’ve seen any of these incidents, or have dashcam footage or other video evidence, we’d be keen to hear from you.
Avon and Somerset Police shared some advice about keeping your phones safe from thieves:
- Keep your phone out of sight in a pocket or bag when it’s not in use
- Use its security features to set up a PIN and a strong password/passcode
- Activate or install a tracking app
- Turn off message previews so reset or log-in codes can’t be seen when your phone is locked
- Back up regularly and keep a note of important information and numbers, including the IMEI, which you can find by typing *#06#.