New British Transport Police data has revealed that Westminster is, by far, the London borough with the highest number of pickpocket offences.

Westminster had over 20,000 reported incidents in the past year, equating to two thefts every hour. Triple the number of reports in Camden in second place (5,300) and Southwark in third place (4,200):

Westminster- 20,871
Camden- 5,301
Southwark- 4,287
Kensington & Chelsea- 2,962
Islington- 2,820
Harrington- 3,160
Lambeth- 2,591
Haringey- 1,894

Westminster’s figures have shot up dramatically in the past two years, with levels nearly twice what they were in January 2021. At the height of the pandemic, the crime was almost non-existent in the borough, with only 100 pickpocketing incidents reported in Westminster in February 2021.

The data collated by London criminal defence solicitors, Lawtons, also revealed the London underground lines with the most reported pickpocket thefts.

The number of pickpocket thefts on the London Underground has more than doubled since 2021, reaching a record high of 7,899 thefts in 2022. Last year, there were over 1,200 pickpocket thefts reported on the Central line, making it London’s worst-hit tube line. The Northern line ranked second, with more than 1,100 thefts.

According to Transport for London* levels of train-related theft are higher than pre-pandemic rates. Some 50% of robberies are committed on trains, with 23% on platforms and 7% at station entrances and exits. Fridays are the most common day for offences to occur and thefts are least likely on Thursdays.