A comedian has shared footage of the moment her bag was stolen from under her chair in a central London restaurant, highlighting a surge in luxury thefts in the capital. Cally Beaton, 56, was dining on Marylebone High Street when two men executed what she described as their 'signature robbing move'.
The CCTV footage shows one man sliding the bag with his foot before his accomplice collected it and placed it in a backpack. Beaton, who has 247,000 social media followers, urged people to share the video to prevent further thefts. TV presenter Jeremy Vine commented, 'Unreal watching the dance move that cost my friend her precious bag and contents.'
The Metropolitan Police confirmed an online report was received on 29 December, and enquiries are ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting 01/8370099/25.
The incident comes as new statistics reveal that thieves have stolen luxury items worth over £5.5 million in London between January 2024 and August 2025. The figure includes 3,207 high-end watches, handbags, and jewellery, each worth more than £1,000. Westminster recorded the highest number of thefts, with 363 handbags, 309 watches, and 104 jewellery items taken.
Among the most targeted brands were Rolex, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, Cartier, and Tiffany. Despite police efforts, recovery rates remain low: less than 0.1% for jewellery, with only one piece recovered from 1,036 thefts. The Met retrieved three of 792 stolen watches and six of 727 handbags in the same period.
