A councillor has called for more CCTV on a busy London street after almost being pickpocketed herself – and claims that thieves are targeting mums with their children.
Westminster City councillor Laila Cunningham has also called on the Met Police to step up patrols in Queensway, where she claims businesses and tourists are being targeted by a group of pickpockets.
The Conservative cllr said: “I am calling on the police to take our safety seriously. The community wants answers.”
Deputy council leader and member for public protection Aicha Less said the council has been working with local police to tackle the issue but as a local authority, it had limited powers for enforcement. The Met said it has recently carried out regular and plain-clothed operations in the area.
It comes as cllr Cunningham has said that she was confronted by one pickpocket last week who she claimed had targeted a female tourist.
The Lancaster Gate ward cllr said she recorded the man, who then allegedly became aggressive.
The mum-of-six said she was also targeted in Westbourne Grove a month ago while out on a stroll with her baby. She said: “I felt someone come by from behind. I was walking my baby when I caught him. I stopped and, in what was probably a stupid idea, confronted him and chased him away.”
She claims mothers are being targeted and recalled how one resident refuses to leave the house with her child unless her husband is around.
Cllr Cunningham said: “These are opportunities who walk around with impunity targeting vulnerable groups.”
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) visited several concerned businesses in Queensway last week and was told a group of five to six men and women target the street “every day”.
Ed, a restaurant manager at Bella Italia, said they try stealing customers’ belongings by sitting close enough to them to access their bags and purses. He claims they’ve been operating on the street for at least the two years he’s been at the restaurant.
He said: “Sometimes we are able to prevent it by warning our customers to keep their bags close.”
Iryna, 21, is a manager at the Bayswater Arms pub and said she sees the group, which she claims operates “like a family”, almost daily.
She claimed they often come in asking to use the toilet and walk by customers, before items are stolen from customers. Iryna recalled seeing one thief lean back on a chair to grab a woman’s belongings and says customers have lost passports, wallets, phones and sometimes entire bags.
Superintendent Beth Pirie, responsible for neighbourhood policing in Westminster, said: “We are aware that pickpockets are an issue in the Queensway area and understand the concern this causes for those who live and work nearby.
“We have a dedicated PC (Police Constable) and PCSO (Police Community Support Officers) attached to the Bayswater area who regularly carry out patrols in order to deter criminals and provide community reassurance.
“In recent months we have also carried out two plain clothes operations as part of our work to tackle this issue. We would urge anyone subject to a theft to contact police by calling 101 or 999 as soon as possible, in order to ensure officers have the best chance of identifying those responsible.”
Callum Kirwin, 21, a supervisor at the Prince Alfred, said the members who target his pub always work in pairs. He said one keeps an eye out while another targets unsuspecting victims at their tables.
He said this happens “every single day” and has become so bad staff have had to intervene. He said: “ Rather than confronting them, we tell them to order at the bar. That’s when they know we’ve seen them and then they leave.”
Rafi Hauqe has worked at Boots for 20 years and said Queensway is an easy target for thieves because of the sheer number of unsuspecting tourists who visit the area. He recalled seeing a phone being snatched in broad daylight nearby.
Tesco duty manager Ala Remiszewsky, 34, said thieves operate during busy times of day. She said it is difficult to tell if the pickpocketing takes place in store as staff can’t access the CCTV but said it is a regular occurrence.
She said: “Every single day someone comes in saying their phone has been stolen.”
Cllr Aicha Less said: “At a council level, our neighbourhood coordinators work closely with our elected members, stakeholders and the local police neighbourhood teams to ensure that crime matters are raised with the police directly. As you can appreciate, we as a local authority have limited powers for enforcement for crime and would therefore advise anyone that is a victim/witness to contact the police as a matter of urgency.
“In turn, this raises a hot spot area on their system, which may/can warrant additional resources. As ever, we as a local authority have a zero tolerance to any sort of crime and want everyone that lives, works and visits our city to have an enjoyable experience.”
- Photos by Adrian Zorzut – LDR
