A Labour MP has become the latest victim of London phone thieves as he was attacked and mugged by a masked gang on bikes.
Chris Webb, who is MP for Blackpool South, said he was targeted by around five or six young people who stole his phone, as he returned to his flat in the capital late on Monday.
“At 10pm last night, as I was returning to my flat in London from work on foot, I was attacked and mugged by a group of five or six masked youths on bikes,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
“They stole my phone but luckily I have no injuries and I am OK.”
He thanked the Met police for their response, adding: “The officers who assisted me went above and beyond and are a remarkable credit to the force.”
Last night, as I was returning to my flat in London, I was attacked and mugged by a group of individuals.
— Chris Webb MP (@ChrisWebbMP) November 5, 2024
Luckily, I have no injuries and I am ok. Unfortunately, they just took my phone so I’m without one for the foreseeable future.
I want to thank the @metpoliceuk for their…
Mr Webb posted about the mugging on X, where a number of MPs have responded with messages of concern.
“Hope you’re okay mate,” wrote Calder Valley Labour MP Josh Fenton-Glynn, while MP Jacob Collier wrote: “So sorry to see this, Chris. Best wishes.”
It comes as phone thefts in the capital have soared in recent years.
There were 66,528 phone thefts recorded in London between October last year and September this year - up 40 per cent compared to the previous year.
The Government has pledged to crack down on the crime after figures last month showed 78,000 people across the country had phones or bags stolen from them in “snatch thefts” in the year to March 2024 - a sharp rise of 153 per cent compared to the 31,000 such thefts in the previous 12 months.
Mr Webb has been an MP since he won the Blackpool South by-election in May, in one of Labour’s biggest swings in a Conservative-held seat since the Second World War.
The Met police has been approached by The Standard.
