See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy TOM LAWRENCE, NEWS REPORTER Published: 19:54 BST, 18 June 2026 | Updated: 19:56 BST, 18 June 2026
Two brazen thieves have been arrested after bags were stolen from distracted England fans watching the World Cup.Two men were seen entering a pub on Great Tower Street and leaving with an extra bag.They were spotted by plain clothes officers from City of London Police, who searched the stolen bag and found a laptop, thought to be worth £800.The bag was returned to the victim, who was unaware it had been missing for 15 minutes and had been distracted watching England's 4-2 win over Croatia in their World Cup opener.A 27-year-old man and a 26-year-old man, both from Algeria, were arrested and remain in custody.Detective Superintendent Jonathan Ball, City of London Police, said: 'While fans are focused on the football, bag thieves are looking for chances to score on and off the pitch.'These thieves don't need many opportunities. A momentary distraction when celebrating a goal, ordering a drink or discussing the match can be all it takes for a bag to disappear. The last thing you want to do is to give them an easy assist.'VAR will be in use throughout the City and our control officers will be operating CCTV cameras from their very own Stockley Park, looking out for any foul play. On the ground, plain clothes police officers will be defending people from crime and tackling criminals.'Keep bags close to you, secure them where possible, and never leave valuables unattended. By taking a few simple precautions, you can make sure the only thing you're talking about after the final whistle is the football.' The thieves were seen in a bar in London stealing a bag while customers were distracted watching England One of the men appears to rummage around in the bag to check its contentsMeanwhile in Dallas, six people were arrested as England started their World Cup campaign off with a win.Local police responded to two reports of fights inside the AT&T Stadium on Wednesday, but neither incident resulted in an arrest.Three people were arrested on suspicion of drugs offences, one on suspicion of public intoxication and another on suspicion of trademark counterfeiting involving goods valued at between 2,500 and 30,000 dollars (£1,889 and £22,679).None of those arrested are British nationals, Arlington Police Department confirmed.Police said stadium staff usually deal with 'unruly' spectators before requesting assistance from officers, adding that security staff often resolve incidents without police intervention.Another person was arrested for criminal trespass after eyewitnesses claimed fans breached security and entered the venue without checks.FIFA said it was unaware of any supporters entering the stadium without tickets.England fans were in a jubilant mood on Wednesday after the statement victory – with a brace from captain Harry Kane and goals from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford sealing the win.The sold-out venue saw fans ride a mechanical bull and chant in numbers as they watched the match – with more than half a tonne of smoked meat bought by fans.More than 14 million people tuned in to watch the game on ITV, with the match also securing the highest peak audience of the year, with some 15.4 million viewers, the broadcaster said.
