Latest news with #Brittny
Scottish Sun
30-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Career criminal who swiped £250k from Jenson Button's wife is jailed after CCTV showed shocking heist
Mum claimed she is too 'traumatised' to return to London RAID HORROR Career criminal who swiped £250k from Jenson Button's wife is jailed after CCTV showed shocking heist A CAREER criminal who swiped £250,000 from Jenson Button's wife has been jailed after the terrifying heist was caught on camera. Mourad Aid, 41, stole Brittny's carry-on, which contained lavish jewellery and designer handbags, from St Pancras station. Advertisement 5 Jenson Button's wife was robbed at St Pancras station Credit: Getty 5 Mourad Aid stole a red suitcase containing £250k of goods Credit: British Transport Police 5 Brittny later said she did not want to return to the UK Footage showed Formula One driver Button stood with his back turned as he helped a chauffeur load his belongings into a vehicle. Aid was then filmed running through the busy station and past the British Library while wheeling the red suitcase. He has now been two years and four months after pleading guilty to theft at Westminster Magistrates' court. The Algerian national will be automatically deported once he has served his sentence, Mail Online reports. Advertisement Brittny revealed the bag had more than £250,000 worth of items, including countless sentimental objects and antique jewellery from her wedding and the birth of her daughter. The suitcase also contained two Kelly bags, which together are worth a whopping £70,000. Ex-Playboy model Brittny said she would normally not carry such sentimental items but was travelling for a Valentine's trip to Paris. Many of the stolen goods were listed online following the theft - although these were later tracked down. Advertisement Brittny, now an interior designer, says the experience left her "traumatised" and cast a dark cloud over their getaway. She also revealed the couple have "no interest" in flying back to the UK from California, where they currently live. The mum added: "It definitely was shocking that I just didn't think. "I'm normally pretty cautious when I'm out in public and travelling, but I just didn't think that there were gangs literally just waiting for people and watching." Advertisement Aid was arrested by plain clothes officers on February 17 - four days after the couple were targeted. British Transport Police Detective Sergeant Marc Farmer said: "This was a brazen and opportunistic theft by a man who took advantage of the victim and her husband having their backs turned for a matter of seconds while loading up their car with luggage. "He was able to quickly swipe the suitcase without them even noticing, which hammers home just how sneaky these sorts of criminals really are and why it's so important to keep one eye on your belongings at all times. "While the incident wasn't captured on CCTV, we were still able to trace Aid through other investigative opportunities, and he was arrested by our plain clothes officers just days later." Advertisement 5 The thief has been jailed for two years Credit: British Transport Police
The Irish Sun
30-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Career criminal who swiped £250k from Jenson Button's wife is jailed after CCTV showed shocking heist
A CAREER criminal who swiped £250,000 from Jenson Button's wife has been jailed after the terrifying heist was caught on camera. Mourad Aid, 41, stole Brittny's carry-on, which contained lavish jewellery and designer handbags , from St Pancras station. 5 Jenson Button's wife was robbed at St Pancras station Credit: Getty 5 Mourad Aid stole a red suitcase containing £250k of goods Credit: British Transport Police 5 Brittny later said she did not want to return to the UK Footage showed Formula One driver Button stood with his back turned as he helped a chauffeur load his belongings into a vehicle. Aid was then filmed running through the busy station and past the British Library while wheeling the red suitcase. He has now been two years and four months after pleading guilty to theft at Westminster Magistrates' court. The Algerian national will be automatically deported once he has served his sentence, Read more news Brittny revealed the bag had more than £250,000 worth of items, including countless sentimental objects and antique The suitcase also contained two Kelly bags, which together are worth a whopping £70,000. Ex-Playboy model Brittny said she would normally not carry such sentimental items but was travelling for a Valentine's trip to Paris. Many of the stolen goods were listed online following the theft - although these were later tracked down. Most read in Motorsport Brittny, now an interior designer, says the experience left her "traumatised" and cast a dark cloud over their getaway. She also revealed the couple have "no interest" in flying back to the UK from California, where they currently live. The mum added: "It definitely was shocking that I just didn't think. "I'm normally pretty cautious when I'm out in public and travelling, but I just didn't think that there were gangs literally just waiting for people and watching." Aid was arrested by plain clothes officers on February 17 - four days after the couple were targeted. British Transport Police Detective Sergeant Marc Farmer said: "This was a brazen and opportunistic theft by a man who took advantage of the victim and her husband having their backs turned for a matter of seconds while loading up their car with luggage. "He was able to quickly swipe the suitcase without them even noticing, which hammers home just how sneaky these sorts of criminals really are and why it's so important to keep one eye on your belongings at all times. "While the incident wasn't captured on CCTV, we were still able to trace Aid through other investigative opportunities, and he was arrested by our plain clothes officers just days later." 5 The thief has been jailed for two years Credit: British Transport Police 5 Jenson and Brittny had returned from a trip Credit: brittny/Instagram
Daily Mail
04-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Is this Britain's most dangerous railway station? The busy transport hub where the rich and famous are targeted for pricey jewellery, handbags and mobiles - as experts reveal tips to keep you safe
It's famed for being an iconic London landmark, but a recent spate of thefts have seen it develop a reputation far beyond being the hub of high speed travel across the UK and Europe. London St Pancras International is renowned for its striking Victorian Gothic architecture as well as droves of commuters zooming to and fro, but among them are crooks lurk ready to pounce at any given opportunity. From Richard Millie watches worth £185,000 being snatched from wrists, to Hermes bags and designer jewellery being swiped, and phones being taken 'clean' out of victims' hands, the strategies of thieves are wide-ranging. And while some thieves are more discrete, swiftly swooping in on travellers while their backs others are far more brazen, hitting victims with a wave of paint before swiping thousands worth of goods. Among the victims of these unassuming crooks are the F1's A-list, Made in Chelsea stars, senior politicians, big names in sport as well as unsuspecting tourists. It comes after MailOnline named and shamed Britain's most crime-ridden train stations, with London St Pancras International topping the charts (1,616) of our analysis. St Pancras' latest victim was the wife of legendary former F1 driver Jenson Button, Brittny, with a yob nabbing her Goyard carry-on suitcase in a matter of seconds, speeding away with over £250,000 of jewellery and designer handbags. In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Brittny revealed the couple had 'no interest' in jetting back to the UK after they were targeted by a thug, who had made off with countless sentimental items. Recalling the moment her bag was nicked, forever memory of the trip and the capital city, Brittny explained how the ex Formula One driver had told her to head into the car. Brittny told MailOnline: 'I was kind of shocked. How like unsecure everything felt [in London] just so many people, [and] so chaotic. 'I thought, 'Should I have brought my carry on back here with me?' Because Jensen can be a little bit like not super careful too trusting and a little too relaxed.' Jenson's suitcase was loaded into the front seat of the chauffeur's car, but as he briefly turned his back to Brittny's carry-on the brazen criminal ran off into the busy station with sentimental items she hoped to one day pass on to her daughter. 'He had his back on mine, and a guy just came and swooped it. We didn't even see him do it,' she added: 'So they were probably watching us. 'We had no idea until Jenson went, 'Wait where is your bag' and he raced off trying to find it, but he [the thief] was already gone.' The interior designer burst into tears following the 'traumatising' ordeal which cast a dark cloud over their getaway, as she quickly headed back to the airport to return to their home in California. 'I just started crying, I was a little upset with Jensen because I felt like he kind of dropped the ball a little but its not his fault someone was watching us,' she said: 'He also did get his bag stolen a few months ago in a car park in London. Brittny's stolen bags which were later listed online. These listings were later deleted 'It definitely was shocking that I just didn't think. I'm normally pretty cautious when I'm out in public and travelling, but I just didn't think that there were gangs literally just waiting for people and watching.' The yob, Mourad Aid, 41, pleaded guilty to theft at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 19 February 2025, five days after the incident and has since been remanded in custody for sentencing. But Mrs Button isn't the only celeb to have suffered at the hands of such brazen criminals, as recently as last February, Made in Chelsea's Yasmine Zweegers was a victim of a terrifying new theft scam. The 25-year-old influencer was outside the major railway hub in King's Cross - having just returned from Yorkshire - when thieves cruelly stole her jewellery, laptop, camera and clothes, totalling to around £8,000 on February 10. Yasmine believed a man, who had offered the reality TV star a tissue to clean the brown paint from her coat, was simply being a kind stranger, however seconds later her bag was snatched as she was distracted. Taking to TikTok following the theft, Yasmin told her 196,000 followers: 'This is such a silly scam that anyone would probably fall for. I literally don't want this to happen to anybody else. 'I felt so violated. I thought this man was just being super kind to me and he very much wasn't.' 'It was mental how we [she and her mother] both completely did not even notice when that happened,' she added. 'The man hands me over a pack of tissues. So I take the tissues, and it made me think 'let me take me coat off to wipe the paint'. Now in hindsight, I should never have taken my coat off. 'We had just come from a family's party in Yorkshire – jewellery, laptop, camera – everything, you name it, it was gone. I didn't want to wear any of this around London so it was all in that bag,' she added. The Made In Chelsea star believes the man who warned her about the paint on her back was acting alongside a team of other crooks, who were prowling nearby. 'I think there is a group of people doing this. One is throwing the paint, the other's distracting, the other's taking the bag and at first I literally just thought I was having a really bad day... I didn't think of someone throwing paint on me. 'It only occurred to me later that that was all a set up,' she said in a video. Only weeks later, Lea Yerevanian, 31, revealed she too had fallen victim to the cruel trick, in a disturbingly similar tale outside Kings Cross St Pancras station on a December evening. The young woman said she was left feeling 'violated' after thieves sprayed her with ketchup in a bid to take her things, and although she clocked on to the ploy, her £4,500 coat was ruined. Ms Yerevanian explained how a man had approached her, and similarly to Ms Zweegers, told her she had something on her back. 'I took my hand and I put it on my back and then looked at my hand and there was what seemed to be ketchup all over it. Someone had sprayed ketchup all over my coat,' Ms Yerevanian recalled. She added: 'The moment that I knew this was a distraction I put my duffel bag on my luggage and put both my hands on it like I'm guarding it. 'I got really scared when I realized that this is not one person. This is a few people acting together. 'I was terrified. I felt so violated because my my space was invaded. There was stuff on my coat, it was just a very scary and strange feeling.' Fortunately Ms Yerevanian managed to escape the men after ditching her Uber and running across the road to get a taxi. Luckily Chartered Security Professional, James Bore, has urged commuters visiting busy stations, such as St Pancras to remain mindful of their surroundings, and not to be distracted by their phones. 'We get tired. We are in a busy environment, trying to process too much,' he said: 'The key thing is don't have your phone out.' He added: 'That's not just to stop it being stolen, that's to stop you staring at the screen, it will make you less of a target as you won't appear distracted.' Describing busy railway stations as 'chaotic' and 'busy' environments, with plenty of potential targets for criminals, the security expert from Bores Group, urged people to keep their bags shut at all times, and to never set them down. 'There's all sorts of opportunities, and ultimately there is opportunity for criminals in chaos and in busy and hectic places,' he added. 'At the same time, these are places where you will have people who have expensive stuff on them on their way to London. 'It is a target rich environment where people are not going to be at their most alert.' One of woman, who had become a target of three crooks was pushed to the ground outside the station, where they ripped her exquisite £185,000 designer Richard Millie watch from her wrist. Last July, the victim, in her 40s, was wearing a Richard Mille timepiece when she was approached by the group of three men outside St Pancras International Station in Euston Road Police say the trio of men then pushed her to the ground and removed her watch as her three children looked on helplessly. The robbers then ran off with the timepiece, and while the woman was not injured, officers said she was left shaken, after the crooks made away with her Richard Mille RM 037, worth around £185,000. And no matter how successful or powerful you may be, the brazen thieves will try their hand at nabbing your belongings, as even senior Conservative MP Sir David Davis fell victim to a 'professional thief' during a £15,000 crime spree a court previously heard. Abderrahim Mamma, 28, allegedly stole the 76-year-old's bag at King's Cross Station on November 4 last year. Davis, 76, was the Secretary of State for Brexit from 2016 to 2018, and is the MP for Goole and Pocklington in Yorkshire. Mamma was charged with seven counts of thefts, which took place at Paddington, St Pancras and King's Cross station, between February 2024 and January 2025. Malachy Pakenham, prosecuting, said: 'This defendant stole property from people worth approximately £15,000.' He told the court Mamma stole 'phones, bags and personal property' from his victims adding: 'Clearly, I say, he is professional thief and that this court has insufficient powers to deal with it here.' Last June, former tennis pro, Annabel Croft revealed she was mugged by a phone snatcher riding a bike outside London's King's Cross. The former tennis star, 58, said her mobile was stolen 'clean out of her hands' while she waited for a taxi outside the station, however the snatcher thankfully dropped the phone as they sped off. In an Instagram update, Ms Croft wrote: 'I just wanted to warn people who are on their own in London. I just got mugged waiting for a taxi outside King's Cross St Pancras. The man was riding a bike and wearing a black balaclava. He rode straight at me and took my phone clean out of my hands.' 'He rode away with it but luckily dropped my phone so I got it back. Terrifying!'. She added: 'On a positive note, there are some lovely people out there. Luckily a lovely gentleman witnessed it and came over to help me. Thank you to whoever you are.' BTP Superintendent Nick Sedgemore said: 'We know how upsetting, inconvenient and costly incidents of theft can be and we are working tirelessly to crack down on this sort of offending in London. 'Our specialist plain clothes officers are conducting regular patrols around St Pancras in response to these reports in order to identify and intercept offenders and hold them to account, and we have a number of tactics available to us not to mention over 150,000 CCTV cameras available to us. 'Just last night our plain clothes officers were patrolling St Pancras when they observed two suspects behaving suspiciously, and intercepted them as they went to steal a designer bag from the boot of a taxi. The officers arrested them immediately and were able to return the bag – which had a value of £18,000 – to its grateful owner.' 'I'd urge passengers to keep an extra close eye on their belongings and to report any concerns to us by texting 61016. Every offence reported provides valuable intelligence which is used to direct our patrols and operations.'
Daily Mail
02-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Moment Jenson Button's wife is targeted by yob who swiped suitcase containing £250,000 of lavish jewellery and handbags minutes after arriving in London - as she vows NEVER to come back
Jenson Button's wife says the couple has 'no interest' in jetting back to the UK after they were targeted by thugs who stole her suitcase holding £250,000 worth of lavish jewellery and designer handbags. The former Formula One driver and his wife, Brittny Button, were in romantic bliss after a brief getaway to Paris. But everything took a turn for the worse when they arrived back in St Pancras, London on February 13, 2025. The 34-year-old explained how Jenson, 45, was helping the chauffer load the car when a man swooped in and sped away with her Goyard carry-on suitcase in mere seconds. The former Playboy model revealed the suitcase was filled with more than £250,000 worth of items, which included two Kelly bags totalling to around £70,000, as well as countless sentimental and antique jewellery from her wedding and the birth of her daughter. Brittny divulged that she usually would have packed less luxurious items for a trip, and a carry-on that was less notable, but given the husband and wife were jetting away for Valentine's Day she and her stylist packed a bit more than usual. However the ordeal, which saw her bag stolen in a matter of seconds as their backs were turned, has cast a cloud over a city and country which holds significant memories in their relationship. Recalling the moment her bag was nicked, Brittny explained how the Formula One driver had told her to head into the car. The 41-year-old has since pleaded guilty to theft at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 19 February 2025, five days after the incident and has been remanded in custody for sentencing Brittny told MailOnline: 'I was kind of shocked. How like unsecure everything felt [in London] just so many people, [and] so chaotic. 'I thought, "Should I have brought my carry on back here with me?" Because Jensen can be a little bit like not super careful too trusting and a little too relaxed.' Jenson's suitcase was loaded into the front seat of the chauffeur's car, but as he briefly turned his back to Brittny's carry-on the brazen criminal ran off into the busy station with sentimental items she hoped to one day pass on to her daughter. 'He had his back on mine, and a guy just came and swooped it. We didn't even see him do it,' she added: 'So they were probably watching us. 'We had no idea until Jenson went, "Wait where is your bag" and he raced off trying to find it, but he [the thief] was already gone.' The interior designer burst into tears following the 'traumatising' ordeal which cast a dark cloud over their getaway, as she quickly headed back to the airport to return to their home in California. 'I just started crying, I was a little upset with Jensen because I felt like he kind of dropped the ball a little but its not his fault someone was watching us,' she said: 'He also did get his bag stolen a few months ago in a car park in London. 'It definitely was shocking that I just didn't think. I'm normally pretty cautious when I'm out in public and travelling, but I just didn't think that there were gangs literally just waiting for people and watching.' Brittny has since praised the British Transport Police for their quick action, adding the thief was brought to justice when plain clothes officers arrested the assailant after CCTV was circulated to local teams. Mourad Aid, 41, pleaded guilty to theft at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 19 February 2025, five days after the incident and has been remanded in custody for sentencing. But the mother-of-two will likely never retrieve her stolen items, which where listed online only days after the incident, serving another blow following the California wildfires that threatened their home alongside countless others earlier this year. Recalling the heartbreaking moment, when she saw the bags she had worked hard to earn listed online, she said: 'Unfortunately, I saw the shady looking photos of these guys holding my bags on their lap. '[And] I knew I was probably never getting them back, and who knows how many hands it had touched - at that point I was not really interested. I wasn't going to send anyone to meet with these people. 'I knew they were mine, because one of the Kelly bags was missing a strap, which I had left it in LA.' She added: 'A lot of people assume, "Your husband bought you those" but actually I bought about half of them and I worked really hard and to have someone come up to me and take them from me - it's just frustrating. 'And I know people are going to say, first world problems, but whether you're getting robbed of something that's not worth a lot of value. If it's sentimental, its sentimental. 'My dad was a police officer, so I was raised not to steal from people. I would rather have less and feel good about myself than steal from people and take what isn't mine.' The interior designer also told how she hoped to pass on the valuable bags onto her daughter, and that she also considered them to be a long-term investment for her children. 'A lot of people assume, 'Your husband bought you those', but actually I bought about half of them and I worked really hard and to have someone come up to me and take them from me - it's just frustrating,' Brittny said (pictured in 2018) 'I was planning to pass down to my daughter. It's just crazy,' she revealed: 'I don't really have many things from my parents, I don't really have many family heirlooms and I wish I did. So it's really heartbreaking.' Above all else, the ordeal has marred her view of the UK, as she revealed London 'doesn't feel the same' as when she started dating the Forumla One driver 10 years ago. 'I've heard countless stories,' she said: 'When we first started dating we would go to London, and it was such like a nice place to be, and now it just feels very kind of dark and scary. 'My husband and I we really have no interest going back to the UK and it's a shame, because, you know, we will have to go back for family and work 'It just feels so unsafe and doesn't feel how it once was, and its just unfortunate because that's where my children's grandmother and aunts live.' Combined with the wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles, Brittny said the couple's year 'was not of to the best start'. 'I'm just grateful that it wasn't a violent robbery, you know,' she added: 'I feel like I have gotten justice because he will have to pay for what he did, in Los Angeles there is a lot of catch and then release.' British Transport Police said: 'A 41 year old man pleaded guilty to theft at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 19 February 2025, following an incident on 13 February. 'BTP received a report from the victim that she had arrived at St Pancras on the Eurostar with her husband around 12.30pm, and began loading a car on Pancras Road with their luggage. 'As the victim's husband turned to load her suitcase into the car, they realised it had been gone. Neither of them saw it being taken and reported it to a BTP officer at the station. 'The case contained several designer bags and jewellery including bracelets and rings of sentimental value, with the overall value estimated at in excess of £250,000. 'Detectives from BTP viewed CCTV and identified a man walking into the station with the victim's case at around 12.35am and was seen walking back out of the station via the Midland Road exit. 'CCTV images were circulated among local BTP teams and one officer recognised the man in the CCTV to be Mourad Aid. He was then arrested by plain clothes officers in the Hatton Garden area on 17 February. 'Aid has now been remanded in custody until sentencing.' British Transport Police Detective Sergeant Marc Farmer said: 'This was a brazen and opportunistic theft by a man who took advantage of the victim and her husband having their backs turned for a matter of seconds while loading up their car with luggage. 'He was able to quickly swipe the suitcase without them even noticing, which hammers home just how sneaky these sorts of criminals really are and why it's so important to keep one eye on your belongings at all times. 'While the incident wasn't captured on CCTV, we were still able to trace Aid through other investigative opportunities, and he was arrested by our plain clothes officers just days later. 'Anyone who witnesses or is a victim of theft on the railway network is able to text us for free on 61016.'
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Is this London's most dangerous railway station? The busy transport hub where the rich and famous are targeted for pricey jewellery, handbags and mobiles - as experts reveal tips to keep you safe
Its famed for being an iconic London landmark, but a recent spate of thefts have seen it develop a reputation far beyond being the hub of high speed travel across the UK and Europe. London St Pancras International is renowned for its striking Victorian Gothic architecture as well as droves of commuters zooming to and fro, but among them are crooks lurk ready to pounce at any given opportunity. From Richard Millie watches worth £185,000 being snatched from wrists, to Hermes bags and designer jewellery being swiped, and phones being taken 'clean' out of victims' hands, the strategies of thieves are wide-ranging. And while some thieves are more discrete, swiftly swooping in on travellers while their backs others are far more brazen, hitting victims with a wave of paint before swiping thousands worth of goods. Among the victims of these unassuming crooks are the F1's A-list, Made in Chelsea stars, senior politicians, big names in sport as well as unsuspecting tourists. It comes after MailOnline named and shamed Britain's most crime-ridden train stations, with London St Pancras International topping the charts (1,616) of our analysis. St Pancras' latest victim was the wife of legendary former F1 driver Jenson Button, Brittny, with a yob nabbing her Goyard carry-on suitcase in a matter of seconds, speeding away with over £250,000 of jewellery and designer handbags. In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Brittny revealed the couple had 'no interest' in jetting back to the UK after they were targeted by a thug, who had made off with countless sentimental items. Recalling the moment her bag was nicked, forever memory of the trip and the capital city, Brittny explained how the ex Formula One driver had told her to head into the car. Brittny told MailOnline: 'I was kind of shocked. How like unsecure everything felt [in London] just so many people, [and] so chaotic. 'I thought, 'Should I have brought my carry on back here with me?' Because Jensen can be a little bit like not super careful too trusting and a little too relaxed.' Jenson's suitcase was loaded into the front seat of the chauffeur's car, but as he briefly turned his back to Brittny's carry-on the brazen criminal ran off into the busy station with sentimental items she hoped to one day pass on to her daughter. 'He had his back on mine, and a guy just came and swooped it. We didn't even see him do it,' she added: 'So they were probably watching us. 'We had no idea until Jenson went, 'Wait where is your bag' and he raced off trying to find it, but he [the thief] was already gone.' The interior designer burst into tears following the 'traumatising' ordeal which cast a dark cloud over their getaway, as she quickly headed back to the airport to return to their home in California. 'I just started crying, I was a little upset with Jensen because I felt like he kind of dropped the ball a little but its not his fault someone was watching us,' she said: 'He also did get his bag stolen a few months ago in a car park in London. Brittny's stolen bags which were later listed online. These listings were later deleted 'It definitely was shocking that I just didn't think. I'm normally pretty cautious when I'm out in public and travelling, but I just didn't think that there were gangs literally just waiting for people and watching.' The yob, Mourad Aid, 41, pleaded guilty to theft at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 19 February 2025, five days after the incident and has since been remanded in custody for sentencing. But Mrs Button isn't the only celeb to have suffered at the hands of such brazen criminals, as recently as last February, Made in Chelsea's Yasmine Zweegers was a victim of a terrifying new theft scam. The 25-year-old influencer was outside the major railway hub in King's Cross - having just returned from Yorkshire - when thieves cruelly stole her jewellery, laptop, camera and clothes, totalling to around £8,000 on February 10. Yasmine believed a man, who had offered the reality TV star a tissue to clean the brown paint from her coat, was simply being a kind stranger, however seconds later her bag was snatched as she was distracted. Taking to TikTok following the theft, Yasmin told her 196,000 followers: 'This is such a silly scam that anyone would probably fall for. I literally don't want this to happen to anybody else. 'I felt so violated. I thought this man was just being super kind to me and he very much wasn't.' 'It was mental how we [she and her mother] both completely did not even notice when that happened,' she added. 'The man hands me over a pack of tissues. So I take the tissues, and it made me think 'let me take me coat off to wipe the paint'. Now in hindsight, I should never have taken my coat off. 'We had just come from a family's party in Yorkshire – jewellery, laptop, camera – everything, you name it, it was gone. I didn't want to wear any of this around London so it was all in that bag,' she added. The Made In Chelsea star believes the man who warned her about the paint on her back was acting alongside a team of other crooks, who were prowling nearby. 'I think there is a group of people doing this. One is throwing the paint, the other's distracting, the other's taking the bag and at first I literally just thought I was having a really bad day... I didn't think of someone throwing paint on me. 'It only occurred to me later that that was all a set up,' she said in a video. Only weeks later, Lea Yerevanian, 31, revealed she too had fallen victim to the cruel trick, in a disturbingly similar tale outside Kings Cross St Pancras station on a December evening. The young woman said she was left feeling 'violated' after thieves sprayed her with ketchup in a bid to take her things, and although she clocked on to the ploy, her £4,500 coat was ruined. Ms Yerevanian explained how a man had approached her, and similarly to Ms Zweegers, told her she had something on her back. Ms Yerevanian believes the crooks are operating as part of a sophisticated crime group and fears their will be many more victims 'I took my hand and I put it on my back and then looked at my hand and there was what seemed to be ketchup all over it. Someone had sprayed ketchup all over my coat,' Ms Yerevanian recalled. She added: 'The moment that I knew this was a distraction I put my duffel bag on my luggage and put both my hands on it like I'm guarding it. 'I got really scared when I realized that this is not one person. This is a few people acting together. 'I was terrified. I felt so violated because my my space was invaded. There was stuff on my coat, it was just a very scary and strange feeling.' Fortunately Ms Yerevanian managed to escape the men after ditching her Uber and running across the road to get a taxi. Luckily Chartered Security Professional, James Bore, has urged commuters visiting busy stations, such as St Pancras to remain mindful of their surroundings, and not to be distracted by their phones. 'We get tired. We are in a busy environment, trying to process too much,' he said: 'The key thing is don't have your phone out.' He added: 'That's not just to stop it being stolen, that's to stop you staring at the screen, it will make you less of a target as you won't appear distracted.' Describing busy railway stations as 'chaotic' and 'busy' environments, with plenty of potential targets for criminals, the security expert from Bores Group, urged people to keep their bags shut at all times, and to never set them down. 'There's all sorts of opportunities, and ultimately there is opportunity for criminals in chaos and in busy and hectic places,' he added. 'At the same time, these are places where you will have people who have expensive stuff on them on their way to London. 'It is a target rich environment where people are not going to be at their most alert.' One of woman, who had become a target of three crooks was pushed to the ground outside the station, where they ripped her exquisite £185,000 designer Richard Millie watch from her wrist. Last July, the victim, in her 40s, was wearing a Richard Mille timepiece when she was approached by the group of three men outside St Pancras International Station in Euston Road Police say the trio of men then pushed her to the ground and removed her watch as her three children looked on helplessly. The robbers then ran off with the timepiece, and while the woman was not injured, officers said she was left shaken, after the crooks made away with her Richard Mille RM 037, worth around £185,000. And no matter how successful or powerful you may be, the brazen thieves will try their hand at nabbing your belongings, as even senior Conservative MP Sir David Davis fell victim to a 'professional thief' during a £15,000 crime spree a court previously heard. Abderrahim Mamma, 28, allegedly stole the 76-year-old's bag at King's Cross Station on November 4 last year. Davis, 76, was the Secretary of State for Brexit from 2016 to 2018, and is the MP for Goole and Pocklington in Yorkshire. Mamma was charged with seven counts of thefts, which took place at Paddington, St Pancras and King's Cross station, between February 2024 and January 2025. Malachy Pakenham, prosecuting, said: 'This defendant stole property from people worth approximately £15,000.' He told the court Mamma stole 'phones, bags and personal property' from his victims adding: 'Clearly, I say, he is professional thief and that this court has insufficient powers to deal with it here.' Last June, former tennis pro, Annabel Croft revealed she was mugged by a phone snatcher riding a bike outside London's King's Cross. The former tennis star, 58, said her mobile was stolen 'clean out of her hands' while she waited for a taxi outside the station, however the snatcher thankfully dropped the phone as they sped off. In an Instagram update, Ms Croft wrote: 'I just wanted to warn people who are on their own in London. I just got mugged waiting for a taxi outside King's Cross St Pancras. The man was riding a bike and wearing a black balaclava. He rode straight at me and took my phone clean out of my hands.' 'He rode away with it but luckily dropped my phone so I got it back. Terrifying!'. She added: 'On a positive note, there are some lovely people out there. Luckily a lovely gentleman witnessed it and came over to help me. Thank you to whoever you are.' British Transport Police Superintendent Nick Sedgemore said: 'We know how upsetting, inconvenient and costly incidents of theft can be and we are working tirelessly to crack down on this sort of offending in London. 'Our specialist plain clothes officers are conducting regular patrols around St Pancras in response to these reports in order to identify and intercept offenders and hold them to account, and we have a number of tactics available to us not to mention over 150,000 CCTV cameras available to us. 'I'd urge passengers to keep an extra close eye on their belongings and to report any concerns to us by texting 61016. Every offence reported provides valuable intelligence which is used to direct our patrols and operations.'
