Police warn Bangor Uni students after bags stolen from Main Arts Building

North Wales Police in Bangor are advising the local student community to ensure valuables are kept secure following a number of recent thefts in the University campus.

Last Friday 19th January, a number of bags were stolen from the Main Arts Building on College Road and mobile phones, bank cards and cash were amongst the property taken.

Investigating Officer PC Sian Roberts at Bangor Police Station said: “Fortunately one of the victims had uploaded the ‘Find my Iphone’ App onto their mobile phone enabling us to quickly identify the area in which the phones were and with a little investigative work we were able to arrest a local man and recover both phones and other property stolen that same evening. 31 year old Michael John Thomas was later charged with the offences and on Monday 22^nd January he appeared before court and was imprisoned for three months.

“Clearly we are happy with the outcome but this is a crime that could have been prevented with a little fore-thought and so we are encouraging students in particular to ensure they always secure their property and if they see any suspicious people in or around university grounds to report it immediately. In addition this incident is an excellent example of how a free App like ‘Find my Iphone’ works and we’d encourage participation. I’d just like to reinforce our advice – Remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately.”

Alan Parry from Bangor University said: “The swift action of the police has led to the person responsible being arrested and sentenced and we’d like to thank them for their excellent work. The police advice to secure your property as well as to use technology to track items such as mobiles and laptops is also excellent, and we would encourage everyone to make use of software such as this, as well as not to leave items unattended.”

If you see any suspicious behaviour please contact North Wales Police control room direct via web live chat http://www.north-wales.police.uk/contact/chat-support.aspx. Alternatively phone 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.