Police appeal after iPhone snatched on train (From News Shopper)

Police appeal after iPhone snatched on train

3:46pm Wednesday 13th June 2012 in Lewisham By David Mills

POLICE are appealing for information after a 19-year-old woman from Beckenham had her iPhone stolen on a train.

The passenger was sitting on a bank of four seats on a train travelling from Orpington to London Victoria, looking at her phone, when she was approached by a man.

Officers say the man, who boarded the train at Penge East, suddenly snatched her phone and jumped off the service at Sydenham Hill at around midday on Sunday, April 15.

Detective Constable Oliver Gilbert, the investigating officer, said: "Thieves see Smartphones as rich pickings, chiefly due to their high sell-on value.

"Typically they’ll target passengers who are using their phones or other electronic items out in the open, because the potential victims are more likely to be distracted, making it easier for them to snatch the items.

"We aren’t asking people to stop using their mobile phones, but to be more aware of their surroundings when using the high-tech devices in public as this will help greatly reduce the chance of becoming a victim of crime."

Anyone with information about the incident should contact British Transport Police on Freefone 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference B8/LSA of 13/06/12 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.