In reply to ThunderCat: Now you are being stupid. Read my orignal post again.
"Before the flaming starts, I am obviously not justifying what he has done in any way and if I'd been in the pub and seen him I'd have taken appropriate action."
There is reason I lock my car and don't leave the keys in it, don't leave my bicycle outside the supermarket, or don't leave my phone and wallet on a pub table unattended. It's nothing to do with blaming the victim. It is to do with living in the real world, where people do commit crimes, especially opportunist crimes such as this one and those I have given examples of.
I have not made excuses for him or any other thieving scum. I have made an observation about how things are done differently here, and that may have prevented it happening.
Pretty sure they'll catch him from the footage and lets hope he gets a punishment that he deserves.