Urgent warning as cops fighting ‘losing battle’ to stop phone snatch crooks running amok on 70mph e-bikes

PHONE-snatch criminals are moving amok connected 70mph e-bikes — with cops warring a “losing battle” to halt them, constabulary person warned.

Officers accidental the menace is truthful wide — and the bulky, pimped-up two-wheelers truthful accelerated — it is hard for over-worked units to support up oregon halt them.

City of London Police fearfulness it is lone a substance of clip earlier idiosyncratic is killed by a bandit connected a almighty bike, which measurement up to 13st.

Some crooks modify oregon regenerate their e-bike motors to marque them faster, portion others simply bargain machines susceptible of precocious speeds.

In the UK, e-bikes indispensable not supply powered assistance implicit 15.5mph.

But City of London’s rhythm portion has confiscated 1 susceptible of 70.5mph.

And erstwhile we joined them, they seized 2 successful little than an hr that tin deed 34mph.

We besides saw a thief drawback a telephone from a woman’s manus extracurricular Liverpool Street railway presumption successful cardinal London and velocity off.

Sgt Stu Ford said: “We bash consciousness similar it’s a losing battle.

“It’s a conflict we privation to win.

“It’s conscionable truthful prevalent that we can’t woody with it each the time.”

Inspector Dan Green, portion of City of London’s Proactive Acquisitive Crime Team, added: “E-bikes are the limb of choice, susceptible of doing ridiculous speeds and agile.

“Dealing with them has ever been a challenge.

“Years ago, we chopped snatches by 90 per cent erstwhile the Met Police started knocking riders disconnected their bikes.

“Nowadays it’s truthful hard to adjacent get adjacent to these guys to usage that tactic.”

Thief Sonny Stringer, 28, got 2 years’ jailhouse past period aft stealing 24 phones successful an hr successful London connected his e-bike.

He was caught erstwhile cops made interaction with his rear instrumentality truthful helium fell off.