Police get hands-on to warn tourists of theft threat

PC De Haan has been going up to visitors who have left a mobile phone visible on the table of an outside restaurant, showing them attractively produced postcards - then picking up their phones with the cards.

It is all intended to show how easily phones left visible on a table can be taken if the owner is distracted.  Needless to say, everyone got their phones back at once having learned their lesson.

The postcards - antique in style - show a police officer, a policewoman and two officers on horseback. They were designed for the purpose by Royal Borough crime prevention officer Anne Chalmers.

Police community message co-ordinator Jeffrey Pick said: "This has proved very successful and effective to get the message across and the tourists love the postcards."