Britain's Home Secretary Sajid Javid has revealed that he was a victim of a moped mugging in north London, amidst growing street crimes in the UK's capital.
The incident happened shortly before the Pakistani-origin Conservative Party politician was given the key Cabinet post in April.
Javid said he reached for his phone to call a taxi outside Euston station when the thieves rode on to the pavement and grabbed it and zoomed off, he said, leaving him "angry and upset".
He said he is now working on a review to give police more power to pursue moped thieves.
"Before I knew what was happening, it (the phone) had gone," said 48-year-old Javid, who was promoted from his Cabinet post of Communities, Local Government and Housing minister to Home Secretary, becoming responsible for the UK's policing and security.
Also Read
"I was angry and upset but thought myself lucky not to have been stabbed or beaten up like many other victims who fall prey to these vicious criminals," Javid told the Sun newspaper.
His revelation comes days after comedian Michael McIntyre was robbed by men on a moped in north-west London.
Home Office proposals announced last month aim to give police drivers more legal protection and aim to smash the "myth" that officers cannot pursue riders who are not wearing helmets.
It followed concerns among officers that they risk prosecution for careless or dangerous driving if they chase criminals at high speed, particularly those on mopeds and motorcycles.
Javid told the newspaper: "It's ridiculous. Police should be allowed to get on with the job.
"If someone commits a crime and police want to pursue them, they should have much more freedom to."
Ride-by moped thefts and robberies on London's main shopping streets have increased six-fold over the last two years, the BBC reported recently.
Met Police data shows Oxford Street is the worst hit with 291 offences in one year - up from 13 in 2014-15.
Oxford Street's crowds give thieves cover and there are plenty of "rich pickings" to choose from, he added.
Regent Street saw the number of thefts jump from three to 91 between 2015 and 2017, while Bond Street went from one to 14.
Superintendent Mark Payne, from the Metropolitan Police, said "intensive operations" in the West End have led to a decrease in moped-enabled crime since October 2017.
Oxford, Regent and Bond Street in London combined have 200 million visitors a year.
Upper Street, Kings Road and Marylebone High Street were the other central shopping destinations most affected.
Many offenders travel in pairs on one moped so the passenger can grab items out of the victims' hands as they drive past.
Dr Simon Harding, associate professor of criminology at the University of West London, said the rise in these crimes could be because phones are more valuable than they used to be, and are an easy item to steal because people use them so much.
"If you look at mobile phones five years ago, they were pretty much in our pockets unless we got a phone call," he said.
"Nowadays people are phone zombies. They are on their phone walking along the street, bumping into people, not knowing where they are going."
Offenders are also motivated by the fact they will not have to pay to get the phone unlocked if they can grab it while it is in use, he said.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
