With the Christmas party season in full swing, the City of London Police is reminding people celebrating in the Square Mile to safeguard their belongings from thieves….
The advice comes as a detective asks for the public‚Äôs help to find a man believed to have stolen valuables from people in City bars.<br><br>The man is thought to have struck bars at Liverpool Street five times in the last year and a half ‚Äì with two thefts occurring on 24 November 2011 ‚Äì making off with mobile phones, computer tablets, a wallet and a handbag.<br><br>The suspect is described as black, in his forties, slim build and with short dark thinning hair. He is always dressed smartly in a jacket and neck scarf.<br><br>Investigating officer, DC Darren Norman, said: ‚ÄúThe man enters a bar and sits close to his victim while reading a newspaper or engaging them in conversation ‚Äì giving them little cause for concern. But he is lulling them into a false sense of security before stealing their belongings.<br><br>‚ÄúI‚Äôm asking for the public’s help to track him down and in the meantime, it is important people keep their valuables out of the reach of thieves when out celebrating in the City this festive season.‚Äù<br><br>And in the West End, visitors are being advised on how to keep their property safe as thousands flock to the area in the run up to this year’s festivities.<br><br>More than a million people visit central London every day – with many more attracted to the area’s shopping and night-life over the Christmas and New Year. This year’s anti-crime initiative encourages people to take simple steps to prevent themselves from becoming the victims of opportunist criminals.<br><br>Traditionally, there is a rise in pick-pocketing during the winter months as criminals target busy, crowded areas at a time when it becomes darker earlier and people may not always be fully aware of what is going on around them.<br><br>To deter criminals, patrols in central London have been stepped up while teams of officers are also out and about advising the public to stay vigilant and keep their valuables, particularly expensive smart phones, safe and out of sight.<br><br>Chief Superintendent Simon Ovens, from Westminster Police, said: "While Westminster remains a safe place to shop and visit, we want to ensure that criminals are not given the opportunity to ruin your fun while you are enjoying the area’s shops and night-life.<br><br>"If you are out socialising in central London please do what you can to keep safe by being aware of your surroundings and belongings at all times and guarding against pick pockets.<br><br>"We take all crime committed in Westminster extremely seriously and have been working hard to reduce the number of robberies, snatches and instances of theft occurring on the borough. We have increased the numbers of patrolling officers in the west end at key times over the festive period and regularly issue crime prevention advice to people leaving venues in the evening."
