Late night Soho patrol nips Rolex robbery in the bud to land trio in court

Police have arrested three men in the West End who were caught in the act of stealing a high value watch from a man.

At around 2.45am on Friday, officers who had been deployed to the area specifically to combat watch robberies, saw a group of men steal a Rolex watch, valued at around £50,000, from a man in Lisle Street.

The officers sprung into action and apprehended the suspects – all were arrested on suspicion of robbery. The victim was unharmed and the watch was returned to him.

Detective Chief Inspector Scott Ware of the AW Proactive Unit which covers central London said: “We are acutely aware of the impact street robbery has on victims and that is why we have deployed officers in and around central London with the specific aim of stopping those determined to commit offences in their tracks.

“We will utilise all our resources, both local and our specialist teams, to ensure Londoners get the best response from their police service.”

The three men who were arrested have been charged with robbery and are due to appear in court.

Pictured top: Lisle Street in Soho Picture: Wikimedia Commons / Stephen Richards