12-year-old girl attacked and robbed of her £450 iphone

 A thief attacked a 12-year-old girl in the street and fled with her iphone.

Derbyshire Police have arrested a 22-year-old man from Derby following the incident in Cambridge Street in the town on Sunday afternoon.

CCTV footage showed the girl bravely fought the assailant for 25 seconds before he eventually grabbed her rose-gold iphone 6s, which retails for about £450, and made off with it.

Kate Bowyer, of Derbyshire police, said that while no blame was attached to victims of such attacks, parents should warn their children about the responsibility and consequences of owning expensive items.

“While phones are great for safety, they are also highly desirable items,” she said. Ms Bowyer added that children were unaware of their environs when using their phones or listening to music and therefore did not always recognise the dangers.

Dr Erin Sanders-mcdonagh, a criminologist at the University of Kent, said young people risked becoming targets by carrying expensive items around.

She said: “Having valuable items increases the chance of being a victim of crime. Many parents feel that phones keep their children safe, and this is true, but does your child need an iphone X to check in with you?”

Derbyshire police are investigating.