A US fitness influencer had her Louis Vuitton suitcase stolen by a suspected organised gang outside London's St Pancras station, prompting warnings about the tactics thieves use to target wealthy travellers. Colleen Bankston, 62, believes at least three men worked together, using headsets to coordinate, while one distracted her and her husband by asking to share their Uber before an accomplice grabbed the case and fled into the station. The case highlights growing concerns about organised theft gangs operating around major London transport hubs, preying on tourists distracted while loading luggage.

Bankston, from Georgia, US, was travelling to a cruise port after a short London trip when the case—worth over £2,600 and containing cash, designer handbags and sentimental jewellery from her husband—was snatched within seconds of her lowering its handle. A bystander filmed the incident, saying he had seen the same men operating near the station before; footage shows the group wearing baseball caps and headphones, a tactic reportedly used to appear as ordinary commuters. Bankston has shared the video online in an effort to identify the thief, while reports suggest similar tricks, including asking to share taxis, have been used in other thefts at the station.