Birkbeck’s Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research partner with Currys to tackle phone theft in London
Birkbeck researchers are evaluating a new street-level intervention on Oxford Street that uses visual cues to reduce phone theft.
A new campaign, ‘Mind the Grab’ aimed at curbing phone theft in central London has launched on Oxford Street, with researchers from Birkbeck’s Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR) leading the evaluation of its impact.
The initiative has been commissioned by Currys in collaboration with Westminster Council, the Metropolitan Police Service, and Crimestoppers. It features a striking purple line painted along the pavement outside Currys’ flagship store on Oxford Street, designed to prompt pedestrians to step back from the kerb and keep their phones out of sight. The idea is these simple actions could reduce the risk of snatch-and-grab thefts, which are increasingly carried out by criminals on mopeds or e-bikes.
The campaign draws inspiration from the familiar “Mind the Gap” warning used across the London Underground, repurposing it as a visual cue to raise awareness about phone theft hotspots. According to Freedom of Information data, over 34,000 phones were stolen in Westminster last year, equating to one every 15 minutes.
ICRP researchers, Professor Mai Sato, Dr Bina Bhardwa and PHD student Lochlan Plane, will conduct an independent study to track how the purple line affects people’s behaviour and whether it contributes to a drop in phone theft in the area. Results will be published in late 2025, when Currys will call on other councils to adopt the intervention - and explore expansion to other UK cities.
Mai Sato, Professor and Director of the Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research says:
“The research team at Birkbeck are very excited to be involved in this pilot and to observe how the use of a simple nudge technique - a vibrant purple line on the pavement – coupled with a play on a well-known phrase to all London Underground commuters - ‘Mind the Gap’ - can influence behavioural change in pedestrians in phone snatching hot-spots”.
The campaign has received strong backing from Westminster Council and the Metropolitan Police, who have increased patrols in hotspot areas. Superintendent Natasha Evans, the Met’s local policing lead for Westminster, noted a 20% drop in robbery rates in the West End since April, attributing the decline in part to targeted initiatives like this one.