Aussie actress Danielle Spencer reveals she has been robbed in London and issues warning to tourists: 'It's a bit of an issue there'

Danielle Spencer has shared how her visit to London was marred when she was targeted by phone thieves. 

The Australian actress revealed that her brand new smartphone was taken from her bag by a pickpocket as she was taking in the local sights while on holiday in England this month. 

'London! Had a lovely time, but I don't have a lot of footage because a pickpocket stole my (new) phone,' the 57-year-old wrote on Instagram. 

The former Home and Away and ex-wife of actor Russell Crowe then issued a warning to tourists visiting the area.  

'Ladies, zip up your bags. Gents, don't carry your phone (or your money) in your back pocket,' Danielle wrote. 

'If you find yourself in that neck of the woods, it's a bit of an issue there.

'Unfortunately I forgot, and left the pocket of my bag unzipped… didn't feel a thing.' 

Danielle's fans were quick to offer their own experiences, and many indicated they had heard about frequent phone thefts in the region. 

'Yes, very sad experience for you. I was warned many times to be careful and not to FaceTime there as they swipe it (out of your hand) from their scooter,' wrote one person in the comments section. 

Another said: 'We were in London two weeks and were super vigilant, as a year ago my phone was taken from my zipped-up crossbody bag by a sweet looking fake pregnant woman.'

'My phone was attached to my jeans for that reason last month in London. I could still use it as it had a retractable wire,' commented someone else. 

One more person said: 'Silly you (after) all the warnings here in Australia. Crossbody bag worn in front of you at all times. Forget a backpack.'

London's phone robbery epidemic has made headlines in recent months, with the Marylebone district in particular a known hotspot where a phone is stolen every 15 minutes.

Nearly a third of all thefts (18,932) in London last year were reported in Westminster, where Marylebone is situated, making it the worst-affected borough.

Trailing behind the central London zone were the boroughs of Camden (5,276), Southwark (5,276) and Hackney (3,977).

The other boroughs in the capital completing the top ten in 2025 were Newham (2,990), Islington (2,737), Tower Hamlets (1,921), Haringey (1,704) and Brent (1,531).

Sutton and Richmond-upon-Thames recorded the lowest levels of the crime, at 88 and 106 respectively, followed by Bexley on 107, Merton on 138 and Havering on 198.

It comes as figures released earlier this year show that phone theft has been 'effectively decriminalised' with fewer than one per cent of offences resulting in a charge.

Almost nine in ten cases are closed without a suspect being identified - and just 0.82 per cent of crimes led to a charge across 17 forces in England and Wales in 2024-25.

However, targeted efforts in Westminster and the West End have cut offences by 45.8 per cent so far this year, according to the Metropolitan Police.

Across London, personal theft and robbery offences involving mobile phones have fallen by 18 per cent in the 12 months from June 2025 to May 2026.