TestenGOLD- Free

Screen grab

The London Standard|January 09, 2025
London is in the midst of the worst phone theft epidemic in Europe. We go on patrol with the elite police unit cracking down on this virulent strain of organised crime
- ANTHONY FRANCE
Screen grab

Kirsty Haywood’s iPhone 11 became just another statistic at 11.30 pm on the day a hooded figure grabbed it outside Waterloo station. “I was just sending a text. There was this sensation of it suddenly being taken out of my hand,” she remembers. “All I saw was the back of him. He’s got his hood up and is jogging across the road with my phone and that was it.”

Haywood, 25, found the experience understandably frightening. “I’m a small woman and he’s a man. You don’t know if they’re armed or have some other weapon if you try to get it back.” The sense of violation only grew from there. Once a friend managed to book an Uber so she could get home to Sheen and cancel her debit and credit cards, it became apparent the thief had reset her Apple ID and disabled access to Find My Phone.

“The most terrifying thing was my device was now open to use and snoop, I didn’t know what they are doing,” she says. Haywood works at an advertising brand agency, and all her work details were on her device. “It’s so invasive and alien to think a complete stranger is on your work email and Microsoft Teams,” she says. “When I finally spoke to a friend in Australia, she said she’d sent me a Snapchat message at 4am and it had been opened. It’s a scary thought — they were roaming freely around my phone.”

While Haywood reported the theft to the police, nothing ever came of it. “I got the crime reference number and admitted defeat,” she says. “It’s surprising how little is being done and feels like a rite of passage if you live in London at the moment.”

If you’re a Londoner reading this, there’s a high chance that you or someone you know has had your phone snatched. One is now stolen in the capital every six minutes (around 64,000 devices annually), with the Government (finally) sounding the alarm over a 150 per cent increase in this criminal activity.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January 09, 2025-Ausgabe von The London Standard.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 9.500 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January 09, 2025-Ausgabe von The London Standard.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 9.500 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS THE LONDON STANDARDAlle anzeigen
THE ONE-MAN ANTIDOTE TO TOXIC MASCULINITY
The London Standard

THE ONE-MAN ANTIDOTE TO TOXIC MASCULINITY

Matt Maltese's funny, self-effacing ballads have turned him into an unlikely heart-throb — but none of it would have happened without a song about Theresa May and the apocalypse.

time-read
5 Minuten  |
June 19, 2025
Forgive me father: What happened when I prayed at the altar of AI Jesus
The London Standard

Forgive me father: What happened when I prayed at the altar of AI Jesus

The hype around generative AI is reaching levels usually reserved for religious fervour. Tech bros in Silicon Valley are proselytising that it will change all our lives.

time-read
2 Minuten  |
June 19, 2025
The London Standard

Safety fears rise after 270 killed in India plane crash

\"The heartbreaking loss of Air India flight Al171 is an example of an extremely rare event: a large jet crashing on an intercontinental air route,\" writes Simon Calder.

time-read
1 min  |
June 19, 2025
IS OUR MIGRATION MODEL BROKEN?
The London Standard

IS OUR MIGRATION MODEL BROKEN?

Rapid demographic change has transformed London. David Goodhart asks whether its effects have turned the capital into a place that isn't working anymore

time-read
6 Minuten  |
June 19, 2025
‘Taking the reins at Burberry? Never say never!’
The London Standard

‘Taking the reins at Burberry? Never say never!’

Kendrick Lamar’s a fan, her shows are unforgettable — and she’s tipped for the top. Meet Martine Rose, London's coolest designer

time-read
4 Minuten  |
June 19, 2025
HEAVEN FOR ROSEMARY FERGUSON IS A SLICE OF DEIA
The London Standard

HEAVEN FOR ROSEMARY FERGUSON IS A SLICE OF DEIA

Eat, swim, walk, repeat... this magical Mallorcan idyll tucked between the mountains and the sea is reset nirvana for the model turned nutritionist

time-read
4 Minuten  |
June 19, 2025
MEET THE ARISTOCRATIC TWINS WINNING OVER LONDON
The London Standard

MEET THE ARISTOCRATIC TWINS WINNING OVER LONDON

Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer are taking the modelling world by storm — and they are just as adorable and down to earth as their legendary aunt, Princess Diana

time-read
6 Minuten  |
June 19, 2025
Going up or down? The curious case of London's topsy-turvy house prices
The London Standard

Going up or down? The curious case of London's topsy-turvy house prices

In the strangest market in living memory, here's your guide to what is happening to the value of your home, whether it is a zone one penthouse or a suburban semi.

time-read
5 Minuten  |
June 19, 2025
Bougie parlour for abhang-ingtime
The London Standard

Bougie parlour for abhang-ingtime

42 at Gymkhana 42 Albemarle Street, W1

time-read
2 Minuten  |
June 19, 2025
Farcical if Uefa rob Crystal Palace of their season in Europa League
The London Standard

Farcical if Uefa rob Crystal Palace of their season in Europa League

Eagles could be kicked out of Europe for minor rule breach other clubs have sidestepped. By Matt Verri

time-read
2 Minuten  |
June 19, 2025

Wir verwenden Cookies, um unsere Dienste bereitzustellen und zu verbessern. Durch die Nutzung unserer Website stimmen Sie zu, dass die Cookies gesetzt werden. Learn more