POLICE have been cracking down on mobile phone thieves operating in Richmond upon Thames by introducing a new property marking service at the borough's train stations.

The campaign launched last Monday aims to mark thousands of mobile phones with a permanent ultra violet property code making them instantly identifiable and recoverable should they be stolen.

The marking team were operating in Richmond, Mortlake, Barnes and Twickenham last week. Those who missed the boat can drop into any Link stores in London to have property marked free of charge. Borough commander Superintendent Mark Toland said: "I hope as many mobile phone owners as possible will take advantage of the Safer Streets campaign.

"This is a positive step towards deterring someone from stealing the phone and gives the victim a much better chance of getting their property back.''

The Metropolitan Police have said that marking property with a code consisting of the owner's post code and house or flat number is a simple and effective way of making items identifiable and establishing whether or not they are stolen. Police can then trace the victim of the crime and have a stronger case for prosecution.

Phone snatch on Richmond Bridge

MUGGERS snatched a mobile phone out of the hands of a 22-year-old who was sending a text message to a friend as he walked across Richmond Bridge.

The Chessington resident was crossing the bridge to Richmond at some time between 8.20pm and 8.35pm last Monday. He was sending a message from his mobile phone when he became aware of two men walking closely behind him.

Suddenly they grabbed him from behind and wrenched his mobile phone from his hands. It was a silver Nokia phone worth £100. The pair are described as a black 20-year-old, 5ft 11ins tall, wearing dark clothes and a white 20 year old, 5ft 8ins tall wearing a blue top. Anyone with any information relating to this incident is asked to contact DC Mary James on 8247 7042.

Hanworth teenager on mobile robbery charge

A 17-YEAR-OLD Hanworth boy pleaded guilty to charges of robbery and carrying an offensive weapon at Richmond Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The court heard how the youth threatened a 14 year-old boy on Nelson Road on February 15th, for his mobile phone.

The 17 year-old told the boy that he would knock him out if he did not hand over the phone. The youth was picked up by police later that day and charged with carrying a knife and robbery. The court granted conditional bail until the case is heard at Brentford Magistrates Court on 19th March.

Youth mugged brother and sister~

A MUGGER threatened to stab a young brother and sister, ordering them to empty their pockets as they travelled through Richmond on the top deck of a 337 bus.

The 14 year old boy and his 12 year old sister were travelling towards Putney on the top deck of the 337 bus last Monday (17th), some time between 5.40pm and 6pm.

When the bus reached the stop beyond Waitrose supermarket, a youth sat down beside them on the top deck. He told them to hand over their money otherwise he would stab them.

They gave him the £2 they had between them and got off the bus. They then telephoned their mother who came to collect them. The mugger was described as a black 18-year-old who spoke with a London accent and wore a red woolly bobble hat

Anyone with any information regarding this incident is asked to contact DC Nigel Legg on 8247 7032.

Boy forced to hand over his silver signet ring

A 16-YEAR-OLD from Richmond had his silver signet ring stolen by teenagers who asked if he had been spraying graffiti about them on walls in the borough.

The young man was standing alone under the arches of Richmond Bridge between 11pm and 11.20pm last Wednesday when he was approached by two youths. The pair asked him if he was a graffitiist as they were looking for someone who had been spraying things about them around the borough.

He told them he wasn't and they demanded he hand over his money. He gave them the £2.50 he had on him and they then told him to take off his silver signet ring and give it to them which he did. The pair then walked off along the river bank towards Twickenham.

They have been described as a white 14 year old male, 5ft 2ins tall, wearing track suit bottoms and a hooded top worn up. His accomplice was a white 15-year-old also wearing a hooded top with the hood up. Anyone with any information relating to this incident is asked to call DC Julia Balfour on 8247 7032.