VIDEO: Mansfield phone thief caught on camera

At around 3.15pm on Thursday 29th August 2013 in KFC, Nottingham Road, a man purporting to be selling magazines approaches an 18-year-old target.

The CCTV shows the man placing his magazines on the table over the phone when he speaks to the victim. When he leaves, the phone is gone.

Mansfield Sergeant Eddie Brudzinski said: “Blink and you’ll miss it. And like this victim, many people do miss it, until it comes to leaving and they can’t find their phone.

“Don’t fall victim to this distraction technique used by thieves. It really does take seconds and your phone is gone.

“Avoid leaving your phone or valuables in plain view in public places like cafes, restaurants and takeaway shops. Be vigilant of thieves and savvy to tricks like this.”

Log onto www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/blog/2013-10-02/phone-gone-seconds to view the footage.