Home Secretary Sajid Javid has revealed that he was a victim of a moped mugging in north London, saying he was left “angry and upset” by the incident.
The Tory minister said the mugging happened about two years ago as he was walking out of Euston station and reached for his phone to call a taxi.
The 48-year-old told the Sun on Sunday: “It was brand new. Before I knew what was happening, it had gone. They just rode up, grabbed it and zoomed off.
“I was angry and upset but thought myself lucky not to have been stabbed or beaten up like many other victims who fall prey to these vicious criminals.”
Javid became Home Secretary in April following the resignation of Amber Rudd.
His comments come just days after comedian Michael McIntyre had his watch stolen while he waited outside his children’s school in north west London.
The comedian was on the school run in his Range Rover in north London when thugs smashed the windows before stealing the Rolex.
The incident came amid concerns of a wave of violent crime in some parts of the country, particularly in London and other big cities.
Javid, who has four children, admits he is anxious about his teenage children being on the streets, saying: “My eldest child, my daughter, is home from university and a couple of weeks ago went out to celebrate her 19th birthday. She told me she was going to stay out late with friends in London.
“It was a day when I’d heard about a lot more knife crime. I worried that night that she was out there.”
Theresa May has acknowledged concerns about moped gangs, but insisted police were being given the powers they need to crack down on crime.
Earlier this month the Prime Minister was challenged about the Government’s response to criminals using mopeds to carry out robberies and other crimes.
She said former home secretary Amber Rudd held talks with police to make sure they had the powers they needed to be able to chase moped-riding criminals.
“This issue of moped crime is one that is of concern for people,” the Prime Minister said.