Three arrests as part of investigation into phone theft

Three people were arrested on Thursday afternoon, October 17, by officers investigating the theft of mobile phones from pedestrians in Bristol by electric motorcycle riders.

A teenager, a teenage woman and a man in his 20s were arrested on suspicion of robbery. The woman and boy have since been released on bail while the man is under investigation.

Our investigation continues into more than 20 similar reports this month in which two people on an electric motorcycle attack pedestrians waiting at bus stops or intersections, with the passenger taking the phones. They are described as wearing black clothing and having their faces covered.

Most of the victims were teenagers or 20 years old, but there were also older victims.

Incidents occurred on Colston Avenue, The Horsefair, Park Street, Prince Street, Redcliff Hill, Rupert Street, St Augustine’s Parade, Union Street and Whiteladies Road, among others.

We are carrying out targeted uniformed patrols in the area, working alongside Bristol City Council’s CCTV team. As part of yesterday’s operation, an electric motorcycle – unrelated to the thefts – was stopped and impounded after it was seen riding illegally on St Thomas Street.

If you have witnessed such a phone theft or have a dashcam or other footage, we would love to hear from you.

There are some things you can do to deter phone thieves:

• Keep your phone in a bag out of sight when not in use
• Use the security features to set up a PIN and a strong password/passcode
• Activate or install a tracking app
• Turn off message previews to prevent reset or login codes from appearing when your phone is locked
• Back up regularly and write down important information and numbers, including the IMEI, which you can find by entering *#06#.

Information about settings as well as safety instructions and tips can be found on the manufacturers’ websites: help pages for iPhones and help pages for Android phones