Aussie expat films scary moment in European city: ‘So common’

An Australian expat inadvertently captured the terrifying moment a balaclava-clad thief attempted to snatch her phone on a busy London street.

Naarah, who moved to the UK last year to study musical theatre, was jubilantly strolling down the road after seeing a show when a masked motorbike rider came up behind her and knocked her phone out of her hand.

Filming as she walked, Naarah said she was “so happy” before the sweet moment took a dark turn as the brazen rider came up behind her and attempted to grab her phone. Remarkably, because the phone was attached to a strap, the thief was unsuccessful.

“I can’t believe I caught that on camera,” she said. “If you’re coming to London, small crime is so common here. Don’t take it for granted, because it literally can happen to you at any point.”

Naarah suggested those visiting the English city get themselves a phone strap, which she says she “never” leaves her home without and acts as an extra layer of protection against thefts.

Phones stolen ‘every six minutes’ in London

According to official figures obtained by the BBC, a phone is stolen in London every six minutes.

“Phone theft is not a minor crime, it strikes at the heart of how safe people feel in their own communities,” His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services Chief Inspector Andy Cooke said last year.

“There needs to be a concerted drive to address this because it directly affects the public’s confidence in the police’s ability to keep them safe.”

Responding to Naarah’s video, many were quick to report similar experiences.

“I was in London last week and saw the same thing happen to a tourist in broad daylight,” said one viewer.

“It’s getting out of hand in London now,” said another.

Aussies warned about visiting the UK

Naarah’s video, which has been viewed over a million times online, comes after Australian authorities issued a warning about travelling to the United Kingdom.

Towns and cities across England and Belfast have been shaken by a spate of riots following the murder of three children at a Taylor Swift-themed event in a seaside town in England’s northwest.

The suspected killer was wrongly identified as an Islamist migrant on social media, and subsequently rioters have targeted mosques and the accommodation of refugees and asylum seekers.

The unusual warning for the UK – a hugely popular destination for Australians – means travellers will need to “pay attention” if they are currently in Britain or are planning on travelling there, according to on expert in terrorism and violent extremism.

It wasn’t the only country the Australian government was warning citizens about. France, Middle Eastern countries such as Lebanon, Jordan and Israel as well as Bali were also countries of concern.

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