Shameless criminals are roaming the streets of London to watch the elderly and vulnerable take money out of ATMs before following them onto buses and pickpocketing them.
The rise of the heartless tactic has become so commonplace on the streets of the capital that the Metropolitan Police has launched a special operation to crackdown on the rampant gangs.
Figures show the Met has received 919 reports of this type of crime and over 74 per cent of the victims have been over the age of 60.
In one terrifying incident on a bus in Croydon, a thug pushed an 85-year-old man to the ground before stealing his wallet and running off. The pensioner had boarded the 194 bus service at West Croydon Bus Station before midday on April 11 when he felt someone try to pickpocket him.
He turned to try and stop the thief but he was pushed over and the thug made off with his wallet.
Were YOU pickpocketed on transport? Email: D[email protected]
In one terrifying incident on a bus in Croydon, a thug pushed an 85-year-old man to the ground before stealing his wallet and running off
The Met has had 919 reports of this type of crime and, over 74 per cent of the victims have been over the age of 60
‘The elderly man was not hurt during the incident but was left shaken,’ said a Metropolitan Police spokesperson.
Operation Deciwire was launched in June 2022 and, up until December 2023, it has led to a total of 35 people charged with 214 counts of theft and 20 counts of conspiracy.
Fifteen have been jailed, with nine handed a suspended sentence.
Of the 919 reports received by the operation, 74 per cent of the victims were aged over 60.
Areas that were targeted were predominantly north of the river Thames, in particular Tottenham, Wood Green, Stratford, Ealing Broadway and Ilford High Road.
Chief Inspector Stephen Warnes, who leads the London-wide operation, told : ‘We know from our work with victims how violated and upset they feel, which is why we have a team devoted to bringing these networks down.
‘We will do everything we possibly can to have these people taken off the streets and make the buses safer.’
The Met Police urged victims to come forward so they can ‘investigate, build more intelligence, and dismantle these criminal networks’.
Abi Wood, CEO, Age UK London said: ‘We are concerned to see the rise in this type of crime, in particular relating to incidences on buses in London although this appears to be a nationwide problem.
‘The London transport system is one of the safest in the world and we are pleased to see that the Metropolitan Police are taking these crimes seriously and seeing that there have already been several arrests and trials resulting in custodial sentences.
‘Our advice to older people is very much in line with that given by the police and that is to be aware of your surroundings and those people around you especially when withdrawing cash.’
City Hall Conservatives transport spokesman Keith Prince said the ‘fact that the Met had to launch a dedicated operation to tackle this menace speaks volumes about crime in Sadiq Khan’s London’.
He said: ‘Sadiq Khan needs to get a grip on soaring crime on London’s buses, tubes and trains.
‘I commend the police for the work they’re doing catching the crooks targeting elderly bus passengers.
City Hall Conservatives transport spokesman Keith Prince said the ‘fact that the Met had to launch a dedicated operation to tackle this menace speaks volumes about crime in Sadiq Khan’s London’
City Hall Conservative Keith Prince said the the ‘buck stops’ with Sadiq Khan
‘But the fact the Met has had to launch a dedicated operation to tackle this menace speaks volumes about crime in Sadiq Khan’s London and on our buses. Sadiq Khan is in charge of policing and Transport for London. The buck stops with him.’
The Age UK boss warned that these criminals often act in groups.
She said: ‘Remember these people don’t always work alone and they may be overly familiar or try to distract your attention. Place cards and money in zip up or button purses and wallets after you have used them.
‘Ensure you keep purses and wallets somewhere secure on your person or consider a money belt and keep bags across the front of your body.
‘Finally, if you are a victim of a pickpocket, you must report it to the police so that they can continue to catch the people that are carrying out these horrible crimes.’
Kensington and Chelsea Over 50s forum said they were ‘deeply concerned’ by the rise in ‘horrific crimes’.
A spokeswoman said: ‘We are deeply concerned about the distressing incidents of older people being targeted by criminal gangs on London buses.
‘The use of distraction tactics to pickpocket money from vulnerable individuals is both reprehensible and deeply troubling.
‘We applaud the Metropolitan Police for their proactive efforts in launching Operation Deciwire to combat these criminal activities.
‘These incidents are horrific crimes that should not go unnoticed or unaddressed. We believe it is essential to raise public awareness of this disturbing trend to ensure the safety and well-being of older individuals in our community.’
Stephen Ricketts, with an address of Slagrove Place, Lewisham at the time, pleaded guilty to seven counts of theft, one attempted theft and three counts of fraud
Samantha Scott, with the same address back in 2019, was given eight months in jail after pleading guilty to three counts of fraud and five counts of handling stolen cash
A group of three women watched an elderly pensioner withdraw the money, followed her onto the bus and, while one distracted her, another one stole her cash. Pictured: Police want to speak to the three women in relation to the incident
Siwan Hayward, TfL’s Director of Security, Policing and Enforcement, told : ‘The safety of our customers and staff is our top priority and we work hard to ensure London’s transport network remains a safe and low crime environment.
‘Working closely with the police, we have more than 2,500 police and police community support officers and 500 TfL enforcement staff patrolling the network at all times of the day to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour, alongside operations to target offenders and hotspot locations.
‘We have also been actively promoting the importance of reporting crime, especially crimes that are underreported such as hate crime, sexual offences and harassment and workplace violence and aggression.
‘We encourage anyone who witnesses a crime on the transport network to report it, so we can take action against offenders and put measures in place to prevent this happening again.’
In an incident that occurred in Warrington, Cheshire, an 86-year-old woman was targeted after she withdrew £1,000 cash to buy Christmas presents in November last year.
A group of three women watched her withdraw the money, followed her onto the bus and, while one distracted the pensioner, another one stole her cash.
A Cheshire Police spokesman said: ‘The investigation remains ongoing and no arrests have been made at this time.’
Back in August 2019, a pair of thieves who went on a spending spree after stealing elderly bus passengers’ purses were jailed.
Stephen Ricketts, with an address of Slagrove Place, Lewisham at the time, pleaded guilty to seven counts of theft, one attempted theft and three counts of fraud.
He was sentenced to eighteen months in jail.
Samantha Scott, with the same address back in 2019, was given eight months in jail after pleading guilty to three counts of fraud and five counts of handling stolen cash.
Were YOU pickpocketed on transport? Email: D[email protected]