Horror in the Caribbean as British couple attacked after leaving cruise ship | World | News

A British couple were attacked and robbed as they left a cruise ship to tour the Caribbean. The man and the woman, who appeared to be in their 30s, came face to face a few minutes after they got off their ship in Castries, the capital of the tropical island paradise of St Lucia.

The couple were enjoying the local scenery when they were attacked by a young man in his 20s at around 11am on Wednesday. The thief also grabbed the bag containing personal belongings before fleeing the scene. According to local news site Caribbean Hot7 TV, the man who robbed the couple was from the south-east of England, wore beige shorts and had braided hair.

The robber managed to escape by taking the couple’s belongings, including jewelry, mobile phones and some cash, before the police arrived at the scene. The couple was said to have been badly shaken by this incident before being interviewed by the police.

A police source speaking from Castries, the capital of St Lucia, where the robbery took place, said: “Just after 11am police received reports of a robbery taking place in the city. Police were called immediately, spoke to the couple and immediately launched an ongoing investigation.”

An eyewitness said the incident happened so quickly that they could not see the face of the man who attacked the couple. A police spokesman added that the investigation was ongoing and they could not comment further at this stage.

The Daily Express has approached the Foreign Office (FCDO) for comment.

The beautiful island of St Lucia is popular with cruise ship visitors who travel throughout the Caribbean to visit some of the spectacular islands in the region. But there is trouble in paradise too, with a number of serious crime incidents recorded in recent months.

In October, a 26-year-old British man originally from London was shot dead in St Lucia. The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force said officers were called to reports of a body with multiple gunshot wounds on a road at around 10.50pm on Tuesday, October 28. The Independent reported that the man lived on the nearby island of Anguilla but was holidaying in St Lucia.

On 12 November, a local mother of two was shot dead in the village of Bexon in St Lucia. The St Lucia Times reported that Finola McLauren, 35, was found dead in the driver’s seat of a vehicle.

According to the FCDO’s St Lucia travel advice, “There have been incidents of crime in St Lucia, including murder, armed robbery and sexual assault”. He added: “There remains a serious risk of murder, particularly gang-related and weapons-related.”