Smooth criminals snatch two phones in one fell swoop

A pair of smooth criminals have been filmed robbing two separate victims in less than 10 seconds on a busy London street.

CCTV footage taken from Farringdon on February 16 has been posted online as a warning to other potential victims, the Evening Standardreports.

The video, made up of shots from a number of cameras, shows a woman standing on the footpath using her phone. Just a few metres away a man standing at the entrance of a building and facing the street holds a cigarette in one hand and his phone in the other.

Moments later, two people on a scooter ride onto the footpath and the passenger snatches the woman's phone from right out of her hand.

Before the victim has time to react the pair are a few metres down the footpath where the passenger reaches out again, this time to pinch the second phone from the unsuspecting smoker.

With both victims still in disbelief the scooter rejoins the traffic and the pair speed off to safety.

CCTV Camera Europe director Eoin Clarke, who shared the footage, said the heist was quite "unusual".

"He nearly knocks a couple of people over and gets away with it. It's almost like it's choreographed," Mr Clarke said.

"This is really for public notice. You walk everywhere and everyone is looking at their phones. People need to watch out for people like this."

A police spokeswoman said the incident was being investigated by a unit dedicated to crimes carried out on scooters.