South American thieves hit London

Londoners are facing an unprecedented blitz from gangs of specially trained South American pickpockets who have flown in to target high-spending Christmas revellers.

Detectives have identified organised teams from Chile and Brazil who stay in the capital over the holiday period and steal thousands of pounds every day - at a time when shops, restaurants, pubs and bars are packed with people carrying large amounts of money.

To combat the menace officers are now going undercover as pub, bar and club doormen.

Detectives claim the thieves are trained at "Fagin" schools at home. The masterclasses teach them how to steal a bell from a pocket without it ringing and razor blades without cutting hands.

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Morgan said today: "There is a lot of money washing around and some people have a number of gold cards in their wallets. Thousands of pounds can be taken within minutes of the theft and a laptop can be sold immediately through the right channels. We need to warn people to be vigilant."

The thieves work in teams and have developed a range of techniques to distract victims as they carry out the thefts - often without people realising anything has been taken.

The crime teams will approach their victim after cash has been withdrawn from the bank and, for example, "accidentally" spill coffee over the target. As they apologise and try and rub it off the wallet will be taken from an inside pocket.

The foreign teams stay at hotels in Bayswater and Earls Court often arriving in the UK posing as families. Their faces are unknown to police and so they are relatively free to go about their illicit trade.

They also pick a table in a restaurant or pub and once they have distracted the victim or just picked up a discarded bag other members will hit shops and banks with credit cards.

DCI Morgan added: "These teams are coming from all over the world, but especially South America and Eastern Europe, specifically to target people in central London and the City."

He said: "Officers will be working in bars as bouncers and also mingling with drinkers to look out for offenders. The thieves are often easy for police to spot but after a few drinks people can become careless." Credit cards taken in London are often used across the country within hours of being stolen.

Officers recently arrested a thief, posing as a City worker, who would sit in a bar with an umbrella which had a hook attached to the end so he could pull bags and jackets away from victims.

On other occasions pickpockets have stolen wallets and gone on a shopping spree and returned the credit card back into the suit pocket later that day. One man lost a £50,000 watch after he was duped in a distraction theft.

Police are concerned that, as businesses cut back on the traditional office party, it is expected there will be more impromptu gatherings at bars and nightclubs.

In the City, police are using street theatre in pubs and clubs to get the message across to members of the public to look after belongings.

Officers are distributing hundreds of posters and leaflets to City firms and their workers warning about thefts. Between records, DJs will be giving clubbers regular reminders to look after their handbags and wallets. Hotline numbers have been set up for bar staff to call if they spot one of the men in the police most wanted list.