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Police are investigating a report that a teenager was mugged at kinfepoint in one of Manchester’s most exclusive shops.

The 19-year-old, from South Yorkshire, reported an £1800 Louis Vuitton bag was taken from him in the incident at Selfridges in Exchange Square.

The department store has confirmed it is supporting officers with their investigation after an “incident”, while Greater Manchester Police say they are “following the lines of inquiry”.

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The Manchester Evening News has learned that police have been told the teenager was looking around Selfridges in Exchange Square when a stranger approached him from behind on the escalator.

The man is then said to have snatched the 19-year-old’s phone from his back pocket. Then, once they reached the top, he is said to have ordered her to hand over her £1,800 Louis Vuitton bag and threatened him with a knife.

The victim’s friend, who was with him at the time, quickly approached security and alerted them to the crime.

The complainant’s mother, who did not want to be named, has now warned others to stay vigilant while out shopping. “He was attacked and followed through the store,” the 49-year-old told the Manchester evening news.

“The guy came up behind him, took his phone out of his pocket and once they got to the top he said, ‘It’s the phone or the bag.’

“He said he had a knife and (my son) would be stabbed. My son was obviously in shock and said ‘get the phone’.

“But you could tell he didn’t want the phone, he wanted the bag. When you are threatened with being stabbed, what do you do?

The victim’s mother says her son has been “disemboweled” by the ordeal. “It’s an expensive item, like a £1,800 handbag,” she added.

“As a parent, your heart just sinks because they’re not happy and they’re sad. I’m mad at all the people who think they can do this.

“We are ordinary people and I personally feel that this is wrong and unfair. (My son) said ‘you can’t have nice things’. He saved for it.

“It’s a bag, I get it, but it’s the journey of him saving up to buy it and going to Leeds to buy it. She loved the experience. She wore it with pride and it has tarnished everything.

“This is a serious attack that people need to be aware of. My son is a kind soul. He wouldn’t react.”

The family now wants to raise awareness that thefts can happen anywhere. “My opinion is that people should be vigilant,” added the victim’s mother. “I know it’s easy to say, but when you wear expensive items, this happens.

“This happened in daylight, where families were walking through the store. It wasn’t some dark, dreary alleyway where you imagine robberies take place.

“This person thought it was okay to threaten someone in the middle of the store while people were going about their daily business.

“Would you rather lose a bag or would you rather get stabbed? It’s a no-brainer. If (this story) makes a little difference, it might make someone who has a nice watch or nice shoes hide them.

“I don’t blame anyone because no one can be blamed other than the person and the trauma they put people through.”

A Selfridges spokesperson said: “We can confirm that there was an incident in the store on Saturday night. The safety of our team members and customers is our top priority and we will do everything we can to support the police in their investigation.”

A GMP spokesperson said: “The following incident was reported to GMP. It was reported as a robbery that occurred in the Exchange Square in Manchester at approximately 7pm on Saturday 11th March 2023. No arrests have been made at this time, however an investigation is ongoing and officers are following the lines of investigation”.

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