World News for Students of English

08-12-2014 07:00

CCTV footage shows the moment a shopkeeper was robbed of hundreds of pounds after a thief had apparently put him in a trance.

The hypnotist criminal walked into the shop in North London and could be seen touching the owner on the arm. Within a few seconds, the shopkeeper appears to freeze and be spellbound.

Throughout the entire robbery, which only took 50 seconds, the thief can be seen talking and touching the man in a bizarre sequence of moves.

The suspect continues to distract the shopkeeper, as he goes through his pockets twice and steals the day’s takings. It’s only when the crook leaves, the man realises what’s happened.

Metropolitan Police said that the suspect’s distraction tactics had worked and the shopkeeper said he was momentarily unaware of what happened to him.

Difficult words: CCTV footage (security camera video), shopkeeper (a owner and manager of a shop), hypnotist (a person who makes people go into a trance), trance (a state of mind when you are not completely aware or awake), spellbound (fascinated), bizarre (strange), distract (when you stop somebody from concentrating on something), crook (a criminal).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com