Police are investigating a report that a teenager was robbed at knifepoint in one of Manchester's most exclusive stores.
The 19-year-old, from South Yorkshire, has reported that he had an £1,800 Louis Vuitton bag taken from him in the incident at Selfridges at Exchange Square.
The department store has confirmed it is supporting officers with their investigation after an 'incident', while Greater Manchester Police say they are 'following lines of enquiry'.
The Manchester Evening News has learned that police have been told the teenager was looking around Selfridges in Exchange Square when he was approached by a stranger from behind on the escalator.
The man is then said to have snatched the 19-year-old's phone from his back pocket. Then, once they reached the top, he is said to have ordered him to hand over his £1,800 Louis Vuitton bag and threatened him with a knife.
The victim’s friend, who was with him at the time, quickly approached security and alerted them of the crime.
The mother of the complainant, who did not wish to be named, has now warned others to stay vigilant while out shopping. “He was targeted and followed around the store,” the 49-year-old told the Manchester Evening News.
“The guy came up behind him, took his phone out of his pocket and once they got to the top he said, ‘It’s the phone or the bag’.
“He said he had a knife and that [my son] would be stabbed. My son was obviously in shock and said 'take the phone'.
“But you could tell he didn’t want the phone, he wanted the bag. When you’re threatened with being stabbed, what do you do?”
The victim’s mum says her son has been left “gutted” by the ordeal. "It’s an expensive item, like a £1,800 bag,” she added.
“As a parent, your heart just sinks because they’re unhappy and they’re sad. I’m just angry at all people who think they can do this.
“We’re just ordinary people and I personally feel like this is wrong and it’s unfair. [My son] said 'you can’t have nice things'. He saved up for it.
“It’s a bag, I get that, but it’s the journey of him saving up for it and going to Leeds to buy it. He loved the experience. He wore it with pride and it’s tarnished it all.
“This is a serious attack that people need to be aware of. My son is a kind soul. He wouldn’t react.”
The family now want to raise awareness that robberies can take place anywhere. “My take on it is that people need to be vigilant,” the victim’s mum added. “I know that’s easy to say, but when you’re wearing expensive items, this happens.
“This happened in daylight where families were walking around the store. It wasn’t a dingy, dark alley where you imagine robberies take place.
“This person thought it was okay to threaten someone in the middle of the store as people were going about their daily business.
“Would you rather lose a bag or would you rather be stabbed? It’s a no-brainer. If [this story] makes one tiny difference, it might make someone who has a nice watch or some nice shoes to hide them.
“I’m not blaming anyone because no one can be blamed apart from the person and the trauma he puts people through.”
A spokesman for Selfridges said: “We can confirm there was an incident in store on Saturday evening. The safety of our team members and customers is our utmost priority and will be doing all we can to support the police with their investigation.”
A spokesman for GMP said: “The following incident was reported to GMP. It has been reported as a robbery occurring in Exchange Square in Manchester at approximately 7pm on Saturday 11 March 2023. No arrests have been made at this time however an investigation is ongoing and officers are following up lines of enquiry.”
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