Ealing mum passed out from shock after thieves stole £25k of jewellery with distraction trick

A West London mum passed out from shock after thieves stole £25,000 worth of gold from her car. Shortly after 1.20pm on Tuesday, April 2, Paramjit Kaur, 45, fell for a distraction trick in the car park of Southall Metro Bank.

Someone posing as a 'Good Samaritan' initially knocked on the driver's window to tell her she'd 'dropped cash on the floor', so she stepped outside and told him that it wasn't her money. But while this was happening, another man opened the front passenger door and grabbed her handbag which contained her jewellery.

The theft has had a serious impact on the Southall mum's mental and physical health, and she says she's now afraid to leave her home. Paramjit, who works as a Senior Catering Manager at a West London school, had gone to Metro Bank in Uxbridge Road to pick up the jewellery she stored in a safety deposit box.

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After putting the belongings in her handbag, she walked back to her car and sat down in the driver's seat. This was when the audacious distraction theft took place.

The incident was '"all over in seconds", Paramjit told MyLondon. A Metro Bank employee also spotted the theft was taking place, so ran outside shouting "somebody has taken your bag".

But before anyone could intervene, both thieves hopped into a getaway van and escaped the scene. Paramjit said: "I was crying so much the lady at the bank took me inside. I had all of my jewellery in that bag.

"My blood pressure then began to soar, and when the staff tried to talk to me I was so upset and overwhelmed that I couldn't even say my name. I was crying so much."

Ten minutes later the police arrived and asked questions about the theft, but Paramjit collapsed shortly after this because of her rising blood pressure. "When I got home I sat down and cried until 9pm that night," she continued.

"Now when I go outside I feel I can't trust anyone. I'm scared that anyone could be a thief. I don't want to leave the house but I have to go to work. I just can't take it. I keep saying 'why is this happening to me?' My GP has prescribed me tablets because the stress has made my blood pressure go really high."

The cost of the gold comes to about £25,000, while lots of it has sentimental value as it has also belonged to other family members in the past. As well as the jewellery, family pictures were in the handbag along with the deposit box key which will cost about £350 to replace.

The Southall mum claims Metropolitan Police has not done enough to properly investigate the crime. She told MyLondon no prints were taken from the dummy cash or the passenger side door after the theft.

DI Tony Smith, who has responsibility for investigating serious crime in Ealing borough, said: "This was a terrifying experience for the victim which has understandably left her anxious and frightened. We are pursuing a number of significant lines of enquiry and are determined to do everything we can to identify the two men responsible. Theft is a highly distressing crime and the loss of not only valuable but often hugely sentimental items can have a devastating impact on victims."

Metro Bank reportedly told Paramjit the crime is not their responsibility because it did not happen on their premises. However, she claims security in the car park makes customers vulnerable as thieves can park off site, with a direct view of the car park and who walks in and out of the bank.

Additionally, she says the glass exterior and use of glass transparent screens within the bank means other customers are able to see when customers walk into the vault to access their safe deposit boxes. These facilities are commonly used by members of the South Asian community to store valuable jewellery.

Responding to this, Metro Bank says when a customers wishes to access their safe deposit box, they use a private viewing locked from the inside. Additionally, it says no one can view what the customer is doing with their box and its contents.

A spokesperson said: "We are sorry that Paramjit Kaur was the victim of a crime after leaving the Southall Metro Bank store. As a bank we always take the security and safety of our colleagues and our customers seriously and have robust measures in place.

"When a customer wishes to access their safe deposit box, they do so in the privacy of a viewing room. We are liaising with law enforcement locally on their investigation into this case."

The Metropolitan Police has asked anyone with information to call 101 quoting CAD 3732/2April. The family have launched a fundraiser page following the incident. Click here to view the page.

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