Travel Question: Why no action over the theft of a purse?

Have a question? Ask our expert Simon Calder

Such incidents are common as passengers invariably carry high-value items (Getty/iStock)

Q My daughter was flying to Paphos in Cyprus when she had her purse stolen. The crew looked for it on seats but they didn’t search bags. She thinks she knows who did it: some passengers who were apparently smoking in the toilets. She was told that the police would meet the flight when it landed to investigate the onboard behaviour, but after a while waiting on the ground on arrival, everyone was told they could leave. She is terribly upset as nothing has been investigated, and feels very violated.

Name withheld

A Your daughter’s experience sounds awful. Sadly, thefts on flights are common. Passengers tend to be carrying relatively high-value items, including purses and wallets, and may stow them in the overhead lockers to which anyone has access. On some routes – such as the UK to Prague – the practice is so rife that the Foreign Office warns of the risks, saying: “It is best to keep your passport and valuables with you before and during your flight.”