This is the moment two well-dressed women pickpocket from a shopper’s bag last night in the middle of a crowded Piccadilly Circus as she enjoys the Christmas lights.
Footage shows the brazen thieves closely strolling behind a woman and unzipping her tanned bag as she walks arm-in-arm with a man past the Criterion Theatre.
A woman dressed in a black quilted ankle-length coat is seen rummaging through her belongings as her accomplice wearing light denim jeans, black coat and trainers walks beside her.
The duo snake behind the couple following their every move in the 14-second video. It is not shown what, if anything, she steals from the woman’s bag.
Despite the area in front of Lillywhites sports shop being busy the pair of thieves get uncomfortably close to the couple.
Two well-dressed thieves walk close behind a woman in Piccadilly Circus and unzip her bag (left) before rummaging through her belongings (right)
It happened last night as the capital was packed with shoppers with just a fortnight to go until Christmas Day.
Some though have questioned why the person filming the crime did not step in.
Craig Hampton said: ‘Swift right hook would do the trick. Also why film and not intervene?
‘Just shout “Oi” and let them know they’ve been filmed.’
Ted French said: ‘Should’ve said something instead of just filming it.’
Matt Richardson agreed and said: ‘Could have just said something and avoided this whole video.’
One Londoner said: ‘Someone tried this with my backpack in London.
‘I noticed, turned round, slapped their hand away and shouted “thief”. They ran away.
‘Obviously, we have to stop using convenient backpack handbags in crowds. But can somebody invent easy to install but loud zip alarms?
Chuck Jones added: ‘Crazy, almost happened to me at the train station.’
Another added: ‘Wearing a backpack in central London as a tourist is insane.’
Piccadilly is within the borough of Westminster which recorded the highest number of pickpocketing thefts in the past year, according to the Evening Standard.
The brazen duo snake behind their victim through the packed the crowds during the 14-second clip amid a backdrop of festive decorations with Christmas Day just two weeks away
British Transport Police data showed there were 20,871 incidents, almost double figures recorded in January 2021. Camden was second with 5,301.
Nick Titchener, criminal defence solicitor at London law firm Lawtons Solicitors, which collated the data said in June: ‘Pickpocketing covers theft of items directly from the victim, but without the use of physical force and so easily accessible items like mobile phones and wallets tend to be the most targeted.
‘It’s important to ensure you’re not a target for opportunistic thieves when swept up in the crowds.’
MailOnline has contacted the Metropolitan Police for comment.
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