Canine mobile phone thefts are a fairy tail
THE Met Police have dismissed claims a criminal gang is training dogs to steal mobile phones.
Its statement comes after a boy had his phone taken by a Labrador dog after it knocked him over in the recreation ground in Sussex Road, Northumberland Heath.
The 14-year-old claimed the dog deliberately knocked him down, then sniffed out his mobile phone and took it from his pocket.
The dog later abandoned the chewed-up phone, which was retrieved by the boy.
His father then called the police, saying he feared the incident was part of an organised crime operation.
But police told News Shopper they believed the boy’s phone had fallen from his pocket when he was knocked over and the dog had then run off with it.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “The incident is being investigated.
“However, we do not believe the dog was specifically trained to take the phone, as stated in some of the media.”
9:07am today
