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The incident happened at around 11.30pm on Saturday, 23 December 2023 after a woman got off a bus at Ravenside Retail Park, N18.

When she boarded the bus in Walthamstow Market she noticed a man staring at her through the bus shelter. The man also boarded the bus and attempted to strike up a conversation during the journey but the woman did not respond.

After she got off the bus, the man followed her. As she walked towards a bridge that crosses a dual carriageway by the retail park, the man put his arm around her shoulders and then snatched her phone from her hand before running off.

The woman, aged in her 20s, suffered a serious leg injury during the incident.

Detective Constable Charlotte Joseph, from the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command, leads the investigation and said: “Not only did the woman need hospital treatment following this incident but robbery is a horrible crime that can leave a lasting impact on victims.

“We have been working hard to identify this man but to no avail so we are releasing his image to the public in the hope that someone recognises him.

“This was a cowardly act, targeting a lone woman as she walked home. Please help us identify the person responsible so he can be held to account for his actions.”

Anyone who recognises the man in these pictures or has any information that could assist police is asked to call 101 or ‘X’ @MetCC and quote CAD 7526/23Dec23.