A 22 year old man has been found carrying 14 mobile phones on campus on Friday night.

Leeds University Union Security detained a local, non-student male in the early hours of Saturday morning.

During the Union’s weekly Fruity event, a student reported to staff that her phone had been stolen. After giving a description, Security found and asked to search three males fitting the description, finding one to be in possession of a number of phones.

LS spoke to Stephen Keeble, Bars and Venues Manager, who said: “We searched the Business Against Crime in Leeds (BACIL) mobile website and saw that [one of the males] was a known offender”.

When arrested by police, he was found in possession of 14 mobile phones. The man has now been charged with 12 counts of theft and is due to appear in court.

Stephen Keeble added: “We are pleased that the fast action of our staff has led to an individual being charged by the police and has enabled a number of students to be reunited with their property.”

When questioned, West Yorkshire Police said “The incident demonstrates the valuable role that University security play working in partnership with local police.”

LS have been asked to remind students that they need to keep belongings with them at all times and report any suspicious behaviour to staff immediately in order to keep their property safe.

Maddy Keating