Romanian pickpocket jailed after targeting revellers at Birmingham's Christmas Market

A 'professional' pickpocket who arrived in the UK to target revellers at Birmingham's Christmas Market was caught after police saw him unzipping a schoolgirl's backpack.

Romanian national Trica Niculescu later told police officers 'a worker has to work, a thief has to steal'.

He had only been in the UK for six days when he was spotted dipping into the 11-year-old's bag in New Street on December 17.

A German market stallholder had earlier witnessed 58-year-old Niculescu slip his hand into a woman's pocket – after she had withdrawn money from a cash point.

He alerted two West Midlands Police officers patrolling the German market then arrested Niculescu on suspicion of attempted theft.

In interview, he admitted following dozens of people on the day and would have stolen from all of them had the opportunity arisen – and then brazenly told officers 'a worker has to work, a thief has to steal'.

He admitted unzipping the young girl's backpack, looking inside but said he didn't bother putting his hand inside as there was 'nothing worth stealing'.

Niculescu, of no fixed abode but originally from Craiova in southern Romania, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted theft and at Birmingham Crown Court on January 17, he was jailed for eight months.

West Midlands police constable Mat Evans said: "In sentencing, the judge described Niculescu as a ‘professional, international pickpocket who came to the UK to target the German market and ply his trade’.

“In interview he almost came across as being proud of being a pickpocket and didn’t seem to express any remorse for targeting innocent people and even children.

“I would like to thank the vigilant stallholder who spotted Niculescu at ‘work’ in the crowd and raised the alarm with us; had he not done so Niculescu may well have gone on to spoil many people’s night at the market.

“Niculescu will be deported from the UK upon completing his sentence."