London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

Blind BBC journalist fights off robber and reclaims iPhone in central London

Blind BBC journalist fights off robber and reclaims iPhone in central London

‘Wrong blind person wrong day’, said news correspondent Sean Dilley
A blind BBC journalist fought off a thief who snatched his phone in an early morning robbery in central London.

News correspondent Sean Dilley was near BBC’s New Broadcasting House shortly before 6am on Tuesday, when a man on a bike grabbed his iPhone from his hand.

But quick-thinking Mr Dilley “jumped on” his assailant, restraining him and reclaiming his phone.

Sharing a photo on Twitter of his grazed calf following the incident, Mr Dilley wrote: “A man on a bike just SNATCHED and stole my iPhone from my hand.


“Wrong blind person wrong day,” he added. “Jumped on him, safely detained and got my phone back.

“Quite a few cuts and bruises but tweeting on the phone he stole (and I recovered).”

Police were called to the scene in Bolsover Street, W1, at roughly 6am on Tuesday but the robber had fled the scene by the time officers arrived.

Scotland Yard said: “The suspect was briefly detained by the victim and the phone was recovered. The suspect then left the scene in the direction of Greenwell Street prior to the arrival of officers.

“Enquiries are ongoing to locate them.”

Mr Dilley, project lead for the BBC’s Reframing Disability Programme, added on Twitter: “I know it’s a really stupid thing to have done, but I’m so proud of myself.”

Responding to one user who said “I don’t know how on earth you did this without sight”, he said a “very noisy bike, very fast, reflexes and adrenaline” helped while “the out of breath thief made a perfect audio target”.

He said he used “no more than low and reasonable force” to restrain the robber, adding: “It was instinctive, definitely not brave”.

Mobile phone robbery is a growing issue in London, with Metropolitan Police figures showing the crime rose almost 21 per cent in the year to September.

There were 8,972 robberies of mobile phones — equivalent to 24 a day — in the 12 months to September, compared with 7,423 in 2021. Only 625 devices were recovered.

In October, city broker Henry Charlton-Weedy, 35, was left needing 52 stitches to his face after he and two others were slashed by balaclava-clad thugs as they tried to stop a phone robbery in Bishopsgate.

Anyone with information about what happened to Mr Dilley, or who saw any suspicious activity in the area at around the time of Tuesday’s incident, is asked to call 101 quoting CAD 1115/27Dec.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×