Locals in East Dulwich have posted warnings on a community forum about a phone thief operating at the station. 

Operating late at night several reports of a phone thief at East Dulwich train station have been posted on a Dulwich community forum. 

A witness has reported seeing a man in his 20s wearing a black hoodie and a balaclava stealing a phone from a woman across the platform and making his escape into the dark on a push bike. 

There have been many similar incidents in the area in the last couple of months according to Dulwich villagers. Many involving phone devices and even bikes. 

According to Metropolitan police almost 10 per cent of crime committed over the year has been reported in September 2021, with 74 criminal offences reported in the Dulwich area so far. 

This is higher than usual around 7-8 per cent, with a rough estimate of 60 criminal offences being reported quarterly. 

Metropolitan police are providing advice on how to protect yourself and your belongings from being stolen. 

They suggest to always be aware of your phone and don’t leave it unattended, record your phone’s IMEI number – a 15 digit number that can be obtained by keying *#06#, this will help ping your phone’s location if it’s stolen. They also suggest installing a tracker app, or if you have an IPhone use your ‘Find my phone’ feature. 

One of the most important pieces of advice is to act as fast as possible if your phone has been stolen, time is key, the faster you act the more chances of getting your phone back you have.