Birmingham: Man with 38 phones stuffed inside trousers at Libertines gig is arrested

A man has been arrested on suspicion of theft after he was found with 38 mobile phones stuffed inside his trousers. The man, aged 30, was spotted acting suspiciously by police at a Libertines gig at the Barclaycard Arena, along with another 30-year man who tried to get inside the venue.

Police said both men had their trousers taped at the bottom of the legs. Police managed to find the phones inside the trousers of the man at the gig. Both have now been arrested on suspicion of theft and are currently being questioned by police.

Police said the arrests followed from an operation set up after intelligence suggested gig-goers had been targeted at another of the band's performances in Manchester.

Inspector Gareth Morris, who oversees local policing in the city, said: "It's an unfortunately reality that large crowds at concerts such as this make rich pickings for career criminals.

"We're hot on the heels of these offenders but you can also reduce your chances of falling victim to such crimes by remaining extra vigilant when attending busy events. If you think you had your phone taken last night, please get in touch with us and we can check whether or not we have been able to recover it."

People are urged to record details of their mobile phones and other valuables on the national property register at www.immobilise.com, which can help police reunite stolen items with owners.