Express
March 16, 2014
MUGGERS, bag snatchers and pickpockets are striking on the streets of Britain every three minutes, shock figures revealed yesterday.
Last year 1.8 million people fell victim as street crimes soared by an average of seven per cent.
Experts believe that better security in cars, homes and shops means criminals are now targeting victims on the street.
And more people on foot are carrying expensive gadgets like phones and iPads, with stolen valuables typically worth more than £300.
The criminals most often strike during daylight – with one in five of all incidents early on a Saturday afternoon, a survey found.
The second most common time is after the pubs close on Saturday nights when some 17 per cent of thefts take place between 11pm and 2am.
More than one in six opportunistic bag and phone thefts take place in bars and pubs.
Another 14 per cent occur on buses, trains and trams.
The youngest thief caught last year was a seven-year-old mugger in Norfolk while the oldest was an 83-year-old pickpocket in the City of London. The capital, Leeds and Nottingham are the street crime hotspots, according to the analysis of official police crime data by insurers LV=.