Shocking footage shows the moment a terrified man has his phone snatched out of his hands by a thief on an e-bike in central London.
A dashcam recording captured the criminal carrying out the appalling act in busy Piccadilly with an accomplice on Saturday night.
The pair, clad in all black, can be seen racing through the streets on their electric vehicles when they spot their victim outside the plush Coya Mayfair restaurant.
One of the thugs mounts onto the pavement by the Hard Rock Cafe and pinches the mobile in the blink of an eye.
Once they have possession of the device, the thieves speed off into the night, as the bewildered man runs back into the upmarket eatery.
The robbery comes as the Home Office announced mobile phone thefts have tripled in the last four years, as criminal gang members help fuel a booming export trade to countries including China and Nigeria.
More than 70,000 phones were snatched in the streets of London alone in 2024, out of an estimated 100,000 thefts across the UK.
Londoners reacted in horror at the latest theft, with one saying on social media: ‘It’s amazing to see this happening more and more.
A dashcam recording captured the criminal carrying out the theft in busy Piccadilly with an accomplice on Saturday night
The thug mounts onto the pavement by the Hard Rock Cafe and pinches the mobile in the blink of an eye
Once they have possession of the device, the thieves speed off into the night, as the bewildered man (pictured) runs back into the upmarket eatery
‘No consequences and it will keep on going on. In the last 15 years I have seen a downward trend of people’s safety. It’s a shame as I moved here for more safety.
Another added: ‘Never have phones on display in London. Or anywhere else for that matter.’
A third boasted: ‘I did one of these scumbags with a road cone the other day. One of the most satisfying things I’ve done in a while.’
It is thought phone snatching could cost consumers up to £70 million each year.
The data, from an FOI request to the Met Police, is thought to be a significant underestimate of the true scale of the problem, as it only includes thefts reported to the force.
Shockingly some 40 percent of all London phone snatches take place in Westminster and the West End.
Victims of the crime come from all walks of life, with celebrities including Lady Victoria Hervey and Kym Marsh revealing their handsets have previously been taken.
The Met Police has been approached for comment.
