Be careful around Milan’s central station at the moment, particularly the area shown in the photo. There is a band of kids who specialise in stealing things from handbags operating in this area. They are bold and quite adept and have even gained some media attention with some items on the news here, accompanied by footage of the little blighters in action.

Stop reading, start speaking
Stop translating in your head and start speaking Italian for real with the only audio course that prompt you to speak.
The problem is, seeing as these kids are minors, there is not a fat lot that the police can do. They are arrested and placed in local authority homes if their parents cannot be found. But at the first opportunity these little thieves escape from the homes and wander back to the Central Station area to meet up with their partners in crime. Rinse and repeat.
Oh, and do not attempt to give them a thump – first, they often carry knives and are not afraid to use them, and second, you will end up in big trouble with the police here.
Ah, the holiday season. Can’t be beat.