Multiple iPhones stolen during Apple Store raid in Bristol, UK

News
By Oliver Haslam
published

Bristol Apple Store
Bristol Apple Store (Image credit: Apple)

What you need to know

  • A UK Apple Store had numerous iPhones stolen during a raid.
  • A security guard was threatened with violence as the theft unfolded.

Thieves made away with a number of display iPhones during a raid at a Bristol, UK Apple Store, according to local reports.

Local outlet Bristol Live reports that "a gang of thieves who walked into Bristol's Apple Store and ripped out 'numerous' iPhones from the display before running off are being hunted by police." While the report doesn't say exactly how many iPhones the thieves made off with, it does say that one of the men "threatened to harm" a security guard before they "walked off with thousands of pounds worth of phones."

The caper went down at the Quakers Friars Apple Store in Bristol. Oddly, the report says that it happened "at 9.10am on Tuesday, April 26, soon after the store opened" — but Apple's website says the store doesn't open until 10:00am. Either way, police have shared CCTV of the man involved.

Apple Stores have long been easy targets for thieves thanks to their open entrances and easy access to products, whether that's display iPhone 13 models or cases, chargers, and more that are easily accessed on store shelves. Apple Stores often have security guards posted, especially during busy times, but they are limited in their ability to deal with situations like this. Thankfully, nobody appears to have been hurt during this latest theft.

Apple Stores can be some of the busiest around, especially during peak trading season when a new iPhone is released — as will be the case in September when the iPhone 14 lineup is expected to go on sale.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.