This map shows the shocking number of moped muggings in London

The amount of muggings taking place on two wheels has reached a worrying high and the Metropolitan Police have now mapped activity to show the frequency of the crime in one of London’s most targeted areas.

It highlights the fact that as many as 20 moped phone muggings took place around Bloomsbury in just one week within one square mile:

It comes after the launch of Operation Attrition last year, a joint campaign by the Met and City of London police to combat phone thefts by criminals on motorbikes and mopeds in Camden and Islington.

As well as becoming an increasing issue in Bloomsbury this year, moped muggings have also been reported near UCL, and at the buildings along Tottenham Court Road and Goodge Street, as well as near Great Ormond Street Hospital. A group of muggers bearing hammers were photographed at the weekend preying on people in the West End.

The police have a list of around 200 potential criminals responsible for the majority of the crimes, but the difficulty of procuring evidence means it is hard to prosecute in these sorts of cases. However, this weekend, police arrested an 18-year-old who attempted to carry out a mugging in broad daylight near Oxford Street.

Last year, the Met disclosed that moped muggings had risen 600 percent in two years, saying that teenagers nicking scooters and using them to commit the crimes were to blame for the steep rise.

It’s a definite reminder to stay alert, and keep your phone out of sight, wherever you are in London. That’s the last time we stop to gawp at Google Maps on a street corner.

In other news, Sadiq has been Mayor of London for a year – here’s what he’s achieved.