At a conference for senior and mid-level police officers, where British police minister Diana Johnson was speaking about the growing problem of theft, her purse was stolen, a government official said.
The incident happened as Johnson attended a conference of the Association of Police Superintendents in Central England on Tuesday, where she was told by a senior officer that the criminal justice system was not working, reports Reuters.
The 56-year-old suspect was arrested on suspicion of burglary and released on bail, the police said.
A police spokesman confirmed that the theft took place in the afternoon, sometime between 11 a.m. and 13 p.m.
"Investigations are ongoing." A Coventry man has been arrested on suspicion of burglary and has been released on bail pending an investigation. "
The Ministry of the Interior announced that no security risks had been identified, writes the BBC.
"Epidemic of theft"
Minister Johnson used her speech as an opportunity to criticize the Conservative Party and outline the government's plans to strengthen neighborhood policing.
"Too many town centers and high streets across the country have been affected by an epidemic of anti-social behaviour, theft and shoplifting, which is eroding our communities and cannot be allowed to continue," she added.
The Police Minister announced that the Government had "agreed initial funding to support the College of Policing to roll out a specialist new training program for Neighborhood Officers".
Police Superintendents' Association (PSA) president Nick Smart told the conference that the police had been left at the center of a storm that was not theirs over the early release of hundreds of prisoners.
He complained that the prisoners were released without proper release plans and that the police would be left to deal with the consequences.
