Police in Islington have issued a warning to those living and working in Islington to be wary of a rise in the number of phone snatch thefts in parts of the borough.
Officers sent out a warning on Twitter describing a “spate” of smartphone thefts in areas around Highbury, Angel and Old Street and asked people to keep their phones safe.
The recent spate comes after figures at the end of last year which showed mobile snatches were down by more than a third from 2013 when the borough was in the grip of a phone crime epidemic which saw 34 phones stolen in two days.
However, an incident in which a mother was punched in the face by a hooded phone thief while walking along the New River last month brought the problem to the forefront again.
Phone thefts have previously risen alongside temperatures with July 2013 seeing a record number of phone snatches in one week as London experienced a heatwave.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here