A LAW graduate says the police response to her stolen iPod has been “a joke”.

Tarisai Makuwaza was visiting her friend in Lewisham on March 29 when she bought a drink from a convenience store in Hither Green Lane, leaving her iPod Touch behind by mistake.

The 21-year-old says when she got back, it had gone, so she asked the shopkeeper to show her the CCTV.

She said: “You see a girl move her head left and right to see if someone’s looking. Then she pockets something, gets her bus pass or whatever and walks out of the shop.”

But despite telling police about the footage, Miss Makuwaza says she received a call the next day saying the crime was unlikely to be solved as police had around 30 similar cases per day.

She said: “If there was nothing on the CCTV why would I go and tell them to look at it?

“The least they could have done is find that girl and ask her if she was in the shop at that time.

“I think it’s well out of order.”

Miss Makuwaza, who is about to start a law placement in Beijing, said: “If I’m going to work with the police I need to know they’re doing their job.

“I don’t live in Lewisham, but now I don’t feel safe there. I don’t feel like I can call the police.

“I think their response was above and beyond a joke.” News Shopper: Thumbs down: Tarisai is not impressed with the police response

She has spent the weekend going around shops, giving them the iPod’s 9E04698J75J serial number, but had no luck so far.

A spokeswoman for Lewisham police said Lewisham CID had investigated the incident.

She said: “Enquiries were made and CCTV viewed.

“We are satisfied that officers have followed all available investigative leads at this time.”

The conversation

Miss Makuwaza says the call went like this:

Policeman: I’m phoning in relation to your lost iPhone.

Tarisai: You’re not phoning me in relation to my lost iPhone. You’re calling in relation to my stolen iPod Touch.

(They go through the description of the stolen iPod)

Tarisai: What’s going to happen at this stage?

Policeman: Well, to be realistic if we were to find the person that did it we wouldn’t do anything about it.

Tarisai: Isn’t that the whole point of having the police? You find this person and get a search warrant or something.

Policeman: To be realistic, we get 30 of these a day.

Tarisai: So basically what you’re telling me is is my iPod isn’t significant.

Policeman:No I didn’t say that. I said we get 30 of these a day.

(Tarisai becomes annoyed and threatens to complain).

Policeman: Give me a call when you’ve calmed down.