Skilled Thief Nicked Rolex And Burberry Watches Off Victims' Wrists

A skilled distraction thief used sleight of hand during New Year celebrations to steal expensive watches from the wrists of two revellers.

Zajaria Lalouii, 29, mingled with the thousands of people who converged on central London for the celebrations to prey on his victims.

He was sentenced to eleven months imprisonment for two counts of robbery, during which he snatched a Rolex and Burberry watch.

Lalouii was caught in the early hours of News Years Day by officers from Westminster’s Operation Bobcat - a team designated to tackle violent crime in and around the borough.

They caught him in the act of taking the Burberry watch from his 23 year-old victim’s wrist in Heddon Street, Piccadilly.

Lalouii, taking advantage of the celebrations, had pretended to dance with the victim and wrapped his leg around the victim’s legs to distract him while at the same time taking the watch.

Officers arrested Lalouii and he was taken to a west London police station.

When searched, he was in possession of the Rolex watch that had been stolen on 24 hours earlier from a 35-year-old man in Marylebone Lane, Marylebone.

Police Constable Andy Marsh of Westminster Borough, said: "While nobody was injured as a result of these thefts, the effects of becoming a victim of robbery run far deeper than a loss of property.

"I hope that the conviction and sentencing of Lalouii brings a measure of comfort to the victims."