Blind BBC reporter fights off burglar who stole his phone | UK news

A blind BBC reporter fought back and arrested a burglar who stole his mobile phone London early Tuesday morning.

Sean Dilley suffered several cuts and damaged his elbow in the incident, which happened shortly before 6am while he was on a break during his night shift.

A man on a bicycle stole a phone outside BBC New Broadcasting House. Dilley sensed the attacker was close to him and managed to jump to him and restrain his arms, taking his iPhone and using the device’s voice assistant to call 999.

As he waited for the police, another man approached and offered to help. The reporter told the thief that he would let him go if they left immediately.

Dilley, head of the BBC’s Reframing Disability Programme, wrote on Twitter: “A man on a bike just grabbed and stole my iPhone from my hand, wrong blind person, wrong day.

“Jumped on him, safely detained and returned my phone … Quite a few cuts and bruises, but he stole the chirping on the phone (and I recovered).”

He later added: “So it’s clear to everyone, my phone was stolen. It was taken from me, and the thief ran away.

“The robbery was completed. I immediately gave chase. And returned it after the robbery. And the robbery attempt will be one in which the object is not taken.”

Deeley described his actions as “stupid” and advised anyone in a similar situation to call the police.

A member of the public has the right to make an arrest if they suspect that a serious criminal act is taking place and intend to take the suspect into police custody as soon as possible.

The Metropolitan Police are investigating the incident as an attempted robbery and are appealing for witnesses to the incident on Bolsover Street in central London.

A witness who stopped to help told police the man fled in the direction of Greenwell Street. Anyone with information should call 101 quoting 1115 CAD/December 27.