People are stealing the iPad Pro's Pencil from Apple Stores

Some people are reportedly stealing the Apple Pencil accessory that launched alongside the iPad Pro, according to various reports across the web. 

The Pencil is a $99 (£79) stylus accessory that can be used to draw on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Apple has been heavily criticised for its lack of stock, with shipping times slipping to 4 or 5 weeks in both the UK and US. 

In order to successfully demo the Pencil, the unit has to be un-tethered. Anyone could pick it up and, as some people have done, steal it. 

Faisal Qureshi tweeted at influential Apple blogger Marco Arment detailing a theft he witnessed. 

Elsewhere, other potential customers reported similar things. Reddit user IMPRNTD said that "[m]y local store in Canada mentioned that most of the Apple Pencils were stolen." The user reportedly had a go with a Pencil and then had to find an employee to give it back, fearing it would be stolen. 

"I walked up to one of the greeters and had to get their attention to return it," they write. "I could have easily just walked out with it." 

It's unclear if the lack of stock is related to the thefts. Business Insider spoke to an Apple Store employee in London who said Apple hadn't communicated a reason for the lack of stock but two staff members were always monitoring iPad Pro demoes, especially where the Pencil was concerned.

"The Apple Retail store I went to had their Pencils stolen from the iPad Pro display devices," said MacRumors forum user iphone5att64. "They didn't tie the Pencils down." 

Twitter user Nathan Lam reported stolen Pencils from Apple Stores in British Columbia, claiming Apple "did not think of how to prevent Apple Pencil theft." 

 Business Insider has reached out to Apple for comment on Apple Pencil thefts and will update the post when we hear back.