NO arrests have been made over an attempted theft from a tourist in broad daylight last week - despite the incident being photographed.
The dramatic moment a would-be street robber tried to take a French visitor’s camera gear near west Belfast's 'International Wall' was captured on camera.
The photo showed a struggle for a bag between a man - believed to be the tourist - and the suspected thief, who was on a bike and had part of his face clearly visible.
It happened on Albert Street in the lower Falls area at around 1pm last Thursday.
It is understood the tourist had visited the International Wall - a series of murals along the nearby Falls Road - just minutes earlier to take photographs.
An eyewitness told The Irish News how a camper van belonging to the tourist and his girlfriend was broken into initially.
A man climbed inside and took a rucksack, a mobile phone and the camera bag.
However, the tourist was said to have returned at this point and although the rucksack and phone were dropped, there was a struggle over the bag.
The eyewitness said the robber escaped empty-handed on foot as passers-by in the busy area came to the tourists' aid.
The photograph was published on social media and in The Irish News and other outlets but almost one week on, there have not yet been any arrests.
Sinn Fein assembly member Fra McCann said police needed to be "pro-active".
"What the PSNI need to explain to people is have they done forensics," he said.
"They got the bike and the bag - what forensics have come back on them? What have they done in the intervening week to make the place safer for people, safer for tourists?"
He added: "What needs to be done is people need to see results of policing in that area."
Chief Inspector Kellie McMillen said police were "following definite lines of enquiry" but she was "again appealing to anyone that may have any information, or witnesses who have not yet come forward, to contact us".
Meanwhile, a rally will be held in west Belfast tonight (THURS) in protest against anti-social behaviour in the lower Falls area.
Organised by the Falls Residents Association and called ‘Take Back Divis’, the demonstration will begin at 7pm on Albert Street.
Politicians have spoken out in recent months about a gang of anti-social elements terrorising the local community, including reports of hijackings and break-ins and the hallway of a block of flats being used for drug activity.
