Watch as CCTV shows brazen thief casually swipes phone from handbag at Cork pottery studio
CCTV - Brazen thief casually swipes phone from handbag at Cork pottery studioThis is the moment a brazen thief casually sauntered into a pottery studio in Cork and swiped a mobile phone from a handbag.The owner of Potteria on Douglas Street, a well-known studio where customers can choose crockery and paint their own designs, was heartbroken after the shocking incident yesterday afternoon.Captured on CCTV, a man was spotted strolling in off the street at around 12.55 pm on Thursday afternoon as a handful of customers and staff were milling around the studio, picking their paints and pottery. The security footage shows him peering around the room before taking a few steps.He wanders towards an unattended table, checks the till area to make sure no one is watching, then leans over and quickly swipes a phone from a handbag before swiftly leaving the premises.Luciana Altoni opened the paint-your-own pottery studio in 2024, and it is one of the busiest businesses on Douglas Street. She said she has noticed some antisocial behaviour in the area recently, and said her heart is broken for the customer who lost their phone.She said the incident is the "first time, and I hope the last time" that something like this happens at Potteria. "We sometimes see drug deals around, but never heard about a robbery like this before."CCTV footage of the moment the man swiped the device was shared on Potteria's social media in hopes that someone could help. The caption of the Instagram story reads: "Does someone recognise this (rat emoji)??? HE stole a phone for our clients and broke our hearts."The incident was reported to Gardaí. A spokesperson said: "Gardaí are investigating an alleged theft that occurred in a business premises on Douglas Street, Cork City, on Thursday, 12th March 2026, at approximately 1:30 pm."
