Top tips for not getting pickpocketed on a night out in London

Londoners are generally a savvy lot, but rates of pickpocketing, especially in crowded public places and often late at night, are still high in the capital. To mark the release of the film Focus starring Will Smith, this week, Alexis Conran from the Real Hustle, shows us how pickpockets operate - and how to avoid them - in a handy video guide.

Alexis’s five top tips:

1. If it feels like someone is getting too close to you, even on a crowded train, that should raise alarm bells. Move away if you can, or just be extra aware of where all your valuables are and protect them.

2. Pay attention – don’t be completely absorbed in a book or your music.

3. Nothing is impossible for pickpockets when it comes to stealing – keep your valuables in your front pockets, lock your bags, or move your bag to your front rather than your back.

4. Hide your valuables – don’t put them in obvious places and keep them out of site as much as possible.

5. Don’t leave your phone on the table in front of you when sitting outside at a café – a common scam is for someone to come up to you with a map or newspaper, distract you with one hand it over your phone, and with the other, take your phone from the table.

Find out more about Focus here.

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