Warning: Mobile phone thieves targeting Townley Road area

All, please be careful. My wife had her phone stolen for the second time in about 8 months today at the junction of Dovercourt and Townley.

She had noticed a group of three young boys on bikes (all three were black, between 12 and 15 years old, dressed in black hoodies, black trousers riding black bikes - they all dress identically and ride the same bikes to make it difficult to ID them) riding around Woodwarde. She turned down Dovercourt, thought they had cycled off and once she got to the bottom of the road took her phone out and one of the boys rode up behind her on the pavement and took it.

When she called the police to report it they said they were aware of a gang targeting the Townley/Dovercourt/Woodwarde/Court Lane and there have been an increase in incidents reported in the last few days.

Apparently this is the same group who were targeting Lordship Lane but have now moved to areas with less CCTV - there has been a 70% increase in reported crimes in that particular area and the majority are mobile phone thefts. The police know who they are and said one of them is 12 years old.

Please be careful everyone - they are targeting women walking on their own using their phones.