Watch: London police use helicopter to apprehend e-bike phone snatchers

LONDON: A video has surfaced showing two phone snatchers using e-bikes to steal phones from pedestrians, who were apprehended within two hours, according to police reports.

Surveillance footage captured the moment one of the phone snatchers, wearing a bandana, veered onto a pavement in central London and grabbed a phone from a pedestrian.

Additional footage, taken from a police helicopter and an officer’s body camera, showed the phone snatchers manoeuvring dangerously through traffic as they attempted to evade capture.

The suspects, believed to be in their early 20s, were later arrested by armed officers at a residential address. Authorities identified them as Parkinson and Wilson, who had been involved in a spree of thefts lasting about an hour in Westminster, Kensington, and Chelsea.

During this period, they managed to steal several phones. Police have indicated that the two men could face a combined prison sentence of over five years.

Earlier in the week, another e-bike-related theft came to light. A rider was recorded snatching a phone from a woman waiting at a bus stop, showing reckless disregard for pedestrian safety. The individual was later tracked down and detained at a youth center in Islington.

The Metropolitan Police continue to address the rise in e-bike thefts and remain committed to ensuring public safety in affected areas.

Read More: WATCH: Cop rams car into thief who stole 24 phones in an hour

Previously in June 2024, a video of a police chase went viral, showing a cop ramming his car into a bike-borne thief who stole 24 phones in the span of an hour.

The video of the high-speed chase showed two electric bikes chased by police cars on a busy road in London, a UK media outlet reported.

One of the electric motorbikes, who almost hit a mother and child walking on the pavement, was then cornered by traffic police cop Jordan Smith .

Footage of the incident showed the police car hitting the bike as the phone thief made a run for it on foot.

The viral video shows the suspect, identified as Sonny Stringer, attempting to run away as officers pulled a Taser and restrained him.

Police later found 22 phones in his bag, with two having been dropped when police struck his bike.