Girl, 12, robbed of mobile phone at knifepoint as police release CCTV appeal

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A 12-year-old girl has been robbed of her mobile phone at knifepoint in London.

The “terrifying” robbery took place in Camden, close to Euston train station and Regent’s Park.

Two males approached the girl on Hampstead Road at around 8.30pm as she was walking home on Tuesday 11 July, the Metropolitan Police said.

One of them threatened her with a knife and told her to give him the phone and her password, according to detectives.

Once she had provided the password, the suspects let her go and she ran away.

CCTV footage from the area gathered as part of the police investigation revealed the two suspects walking down the road, looking at the device they had just stolen, Scotland Yard said.

On Friday, a 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of robbery. He has since been bailed pending further inquiries.

The force has now issued an urgent appeal, releasing a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to.

The image shows a young man wearing grey tracksuit bottoms, a light blue jacket, black trainers and a backpack, walking past the number 134 bus.

“We have made good progress with our investigation,” said Sergeant Max Pennington, from the Met’s local policing team in Camden.

“This was a terrifying robbery which took place in broad daylight and we think there will be people who witnessed the incident or recognise the man pictured who can help us to find him and we would urge them to get in touch.”

Knife crime in London has soared by 16 per cent in the past year, according to the latest Office for National Statistics data – with 12,786 knife offences recorded in the capital during the 12 months to April.

A surge in knifepoint robberies – which rose by nearly a third, with 7,389 incidents recorded – was mostly to blame for the overall rise.

Anyone with information should call 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting CAD7601/11Jul. You can also provide information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.