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A hooded gang was spotted apparently robbing revellers on a night out in central London while a crowd stood by and filmed on their phones.
The group of at least four people, dressed in jeans and long hooded black coats, were filmed surrounding a black Mercedes van on a street in the Square Mile on Sunday.
Footage shows the group reaching into the back of the van which was parked on Gresham Street in the City of London and seeming to struggle with someone inside.
The driver of the vehicle is seen sitting calmly in the front seat, making no apparent effort to intervene or leave the scene.
The group, who were also wearing face masks, then left the scene.
While the incident was unfolding others on the street stood by and simply filmed it on their phones.
One man was heard saying: ‘You don’t want to be that way… someone’s getting robbed.’
A woman adds: ‘Oh my God… why are they doing that?
A hooded gang were spotted apparently robbing revellers on a night out in central London on Sunday while a crowd stood by and filmed on their phones
Footage shows the group reaching into the back of the van which was parked on Gresham Street in the City of London and seeming to struggle with someone inside
‘I literally want to shout at them and tell them to stop doing that’.
The incident was filmed by a bystander on social media platform Snapchat and later shared widely online.
Officers from the City of London Police are investigating. A spokesperson for the force told the Mail that the alleged robbery was not reported to the police and no victims have come forward.
The spokesperson said: ‘We are aware of the video posted on social media of an alleged robbery on Gresham Street. We’ve received no reports from any victims and no eyewitnesses have contacted police.
‘We will make all efforts to identify any victims and would ask anyone with any information to contact the City of London Police on 101.’
The footage emerged amid shocking reports of crime in the city with locals and tourists alike targeted by phone snatchers and gangs of thieves.
In 2024 alone, 117,211 mobile phones were reported stolen in the capital, according to Met Police figures, the equivalent of 320 every day.
The thieves typically target people at random in the street while on bikes or mopeds, often mounting the pavement and snatching devices out of victims’ hands before they have even realised what has happened.
The alleged robbery took place on Gresham Street (pictured), City of London on Sunday
The group of at least four people, dressed in jeans and long hooded black coats, were filmed surrounding a black Mercedes van on a street in the square mile on Sunday
Once taken, the devices are commonly shipped aboard to be stripped for parts.
Other gangs of so-called ‘Rolex rippers’ target individuals for their high-end watches.
Some 5,180 timepieces worth more than £3,000 were snatched in the capital between January 2022 and July 2025, but only 59 were found – just one in 88.
One of the most high-profile incidents in recent years was the gunpoint robbery of a £70,000 diamond-encrusted watch from former world boxing champion Amir Khan.
The Olympic silver medallist was targeted as he and his wife Faryal Makhdoom left the Sahara Grill restaurant in Leyton, East London, on a night in April 2022.
Another incident saw an Algerian migrant target a Tim Hortons boss before his accomplice snatched his £65,000 Patek Philippe timepiece from his wrist on New Bond Street in Mayfair last year.
It comes as Scotland Yard’s newly-appointed lead on phone theft admitted last month that the force’s work to tackle such incidents has not been ‘good enough’.
But Commander Andy Featherstone said the Met’s new strategy focused on targeting organised crime was making a difference.
He told the BBC that the problem of phone thefts had been an ‘outlier’ for the Met, adding: ‘But the bottom line is that isn’t good enough. The public deserve better.’