Shocking footage shows brazen thugs smashing up Carphone Warehouse
EXCLUSIVE: Shocking footage shows brazen thugs smashing up a Carphone Warehouse store in affluent west London to steal mobile phones
- The thugs were recorded kicking and stamping the mobile phone display
- The attack took place at 2pm on Wednesday in Richmond, south west London
- Despite the police being called, the thieves stayed until they had pulled three phones free from their security cables
- Attempts to bring the shutter down and trap the thieves failed
- Did you see what happened? Please contact [email protected]
Kicking and stamping, these are the shocking images of the daylight robbery of a Carphone Warehouse store by a gang of teenage thugs in one of London’s most affluent districts.
Disguised with masks, hoodies and baseball caps the thieves launched their brazen attack in the heart of Richmond, west London, at lunchtime on Wednesday.
Targeting the latest iPhone and Samsung hand-sets the young criminals frantically tried to break the phones, worth up to £900 each, free from their secure mountings.
Kicking and stamping, these are the shocking images of the daylight robbery of a Carphone Warehouse store by a gang of teenage thugs in one of London’s most affluent districts
Disguised with masks, hoodies and baseball caps the thieves launched their brazen attack in the heart of Richmond, west London, at lunchtime on Wednesday
During the frantic five-minute raid the teenagers caused an estimated £10,000 worth of damage – making off with just three mobile phones which were probably broken.
Terrified shop staff could only watch in horror from a secure room as the violence erupted in front of them.
Only the fear of being trapped inside the shop by a steel security shutter prompted the thugs – aged between 14 to 18 and dressed in designer track-suits and trainers – to halt the raid and escape.
Police did not arrive on the scene until long after the thieves had fled.
‘It was absolutely terrifying,’ an eye-witness told MailOnline.
‘There were about eight or nine teenagers. They suddenly came into the shop and started to smash up the Apple display.
‘They were trying to steal phones – iPhones and Samsung.
‘But they couldn’t get them from their secure mountings so they started to smash up the display to try to break them free.
‘They wanted to get the latest models – iPhone Xs and Samsung Notes.
During the frantic five-minute raid the teenagers caused an estimated £10,000 worth of damage – making off with just three mobile phones which were probably broken
Only the fear of being trapped inside the shop by a steel security shutter prompted the thugs – aged between 14 to 18 and dressed in designer track-suits and trainers – to halt the raid and escape
‘But they only manage to get three phones, iPhones I think, and I think they had to smash these up to get them off their mountings.
‘They left behind six or seven other phones which they had broken.
‘They were all teenagers. Some were wearing masks, others wore hoodies and caps, so you could not see their faces.
‘They only stopped after a member of staff brought the steel security shutter down.’
Carphone Warehouse said they were working with the police to catch the criminals.
A spokesman told MailOnline: ‘The safety of our customers is of paramount importance and we’re thankful no-one was injured.
‘We’re working with police to support their investigations.’
The young criminals remain at large but police have launched an investigation to find them, the Met said.
Carphone Warehouse said they were working with the police to catch the criminals. A spokesman told MailOnline: ‘The safety of our customers is of paramount importance and we’re thankful no-one was injured’
A Scotland Yard spokeswoman told MailOnline: ‘Police were called to reports of a theft form a shop on George Street, Richmond.
‘It was reported that a group of males entered the store and stole a number of items before fleeing the scene.
‘No arrests have been made: enquiries continue.’
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