Shocking moment thief climbs over shop counter and grapples with female worker before stealing £700 iPhone from store in east London

A brazen shoplifter has been caught on camera grappling with a terrified female shop assistant after he leaned his entire body over the counter to grab an expensive mobile phone.

Now the outraged owner of Apple Tech London in Forest Gate claims despite calling 999 in the moments after, no officers have yet attended because 'they don't have time.'

The thief, who dressed in a black helmet and cycling gear, carried out the shameless action on Thursday at around 2.30pm.

Apple Tech London said the man forcibly took an  iPhone 14 Pro Max, which has a starting price of around £700.

CCTV from inside the store shows the man entering the premises and chatting with the assistant for around a minute. 

He looks relaxed, crossing his arms over the top of the counter as the assistant points to various items. 

At one point, he goes to open the shop door, presumably as a way of helping him make a getaway afterwards.

He then briefly steps outside, before returning and resuming his position at the counter.

As he continues to talk to the assistant, in one sudden second he leans behind the counter and grabs the mobile phone with his left hand.

The assistant realises what he is doing and tries to stop him, resulting in the thief spreading his entire body over the counter.

In the next dramatic moments, the pair are seen grappling with one another and the counter shaking from the force.

Eventually the thief prevails and takes off with the mobile phone.

Visibly shaken, the assistant shouts and points at the man, before picking up a phone to call the police.

A second camera outside caught the thief picking up his mountain bike and heading off with his loot. 

Owner Mahamed Fahad posted the footage on X and said this was the second time something like this had happened and the police had not come. 

'They said they will come after one hour, what’s the point if police come after anyone die[s]? 

He added that the police told them they would attend on Tuesday - five days after the incident. 

The theft happened amid a surge in shoplifting and mobile phone thefts across London in recent months.

Earlier this month a new map revealed nearly 52,000 mobile phones were stolen in the capital last year as criminals on mopeds and e-bikes use violence and distraction techniques to target victims.

The worst-hit borough was the City of Westminster, where tourists flock for theatre shows and high-end shopping, with 18,863 reported incidents in the year to December - up 47 per cent from 12,836 in the previous 12 months.

Camden was the second worst affected, with 4,806 incidents, followed by Southwark (4,376), Hackney (2,761), Newham (2,585), Lambeth (2,394) and Islington (2,117). In London as a whole more than 52,000 phones were stolen last year.

MailOnline has contacted Met Police for comment.