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This won’t come as a surprise to many, but London is absolutely teeming with pickpockets. In fact, the Big Smoke has more pickpocketing hotspots than anywhere else in the country, new data has revealed.
The top 10 pickpocketing spots in the UK are all in London, according to a new study by licensing firm Get Licensed, using data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).
If you’re heading into central London, you’re going to need to keep your wits about you. The most recorded pickpocketing incidents last year took place in Westminster, with 133.21 reports per 100,000 people. Pickpocketing cases in the borough rose by 712 percent over the past three years – the country’s biggest increase.
The UK’s second-worst spot for pickpockets was Camden with more than 6,800 theft incidents recorded over the past year, equivalent to 31.4 per 1,000 people. Southwark had the third highest rate, with almost 6,000 pickpocketing incidents between 2023 and 2024.
Other London boroughs making up the top 10 included Kensington and Chelsea, Hackney, Islington, Lambeth, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Haringey.
Crafty thieves are most likely to be after your iPhone, with phone pinchings being the most common type of recorded pickpocketing.
The chief executive of Get Licensed, Shahzad Ali, advised people to zip their phone inside their bag or pocket, and to keep it close to their body. ‘The type of bag you use, especially in high-risk areas, can determine your own risk level. It’s best to use a zip-up bag that you can wear across your body to reduce the chances of someone snatching it from your shoulder,’ he said.
‘If you are carrying more, such as a backpack, keep important belongings, such as a wallet, phone and keys, in a smaller cross-body bag to keep them closer to you.’
The Metropolitan Police advises people to report phone theft as quickly as possible, as they can determine vital information within the first hour, also known as the ‘golden hour’, of the robbery.
You can report incidents in person at the police station, by calling 101, or online.
PSA: Loads of south London train lines will be closed during October half term.
Plus: London’s massive new theatre Sadler’s Wells East will open in February.
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