Phone shops lock their doors after huge rise in robberies by gangs

Mobile phone retailers are locking their doors during trading hours and considering using "kill switches" to disable stolen devices as incidents of theft surge more than nine-fold in some high street stores because of organised crime.

- Mark Sweney

Vodafone Three, which operates the largest retail network with 650 stores across the UK, has had a 967% increase in theft incidents in the first half of this year compared with the same period in 2024.

"In recent months, the telecoms sector has seen an alarming surge in aggressive robberies and attempted robberies in stores, particularly across London and the south-east of England," said a spokesperson for the company. "Vodafone Three has seen a nine-times increase in these types of incidents."

In response, the company has introduced measures including a locked door policy in some stores, which requires security guards to open the store's doors to customers during trading hours, rather than them remaining open at all times. "This is a disappointing, but necessary step," the spokesperson said.