"TV presenter and model Alexa Chung told how she clung on to her phone after being targeted by a thief in east London. Speaking to podcast host Isaac Hindin-Miller, the 42-year-old said: Someone tried to nick one off me the other day, but I refused to let them have it. I was in the middle of a group chat and it was really fascinating. I literally tight-gripped it and was like, F*** you!"
"Commander Andrew Featherstone, the Met's lead for tackling phone theft, said: We've dismantled criminal networks at every level, from street-level thieves to international organised crime groups exporting tens of thousands of stolen devices each year. Londoners deserve to feel safe. We've shown how serious we are about tackling this issue, but we need more help from the industry. We're calling on phone manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung to do more to support us and protect their customers especially around phone security and re-use."
TV presenter and model Alexa Chung clung to her phone after a thief targeted her in east London, refusing to let go while she was in the middle of a group chat. London recorded about 80,000 phone snatches last year, averaging one device stolen every six minutes. The Metropolitan Police launched Operation Echosteep in December 2024 after a box containing about 1,000 iPhones bound for Hong Kong was found at a warehouse near Heathrow. Investigators disrupted an international network suspected of smuggling roughly 40,000 stolen phones from the UK to China over the past 12 months. Police highlighted Apple products as prime targets because of high overseas resale value, with street thieves paid up to £300 per handset and stolen devices sold for up to $5,000 in China. The Met urged manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung to strengthen security and support efforts to prevent reuse and resale of stolen devices.
Read at www.standard.co.uk
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