Mapped: UK phone theft hotspots reveal where you’re most likely to be targeted
Mapped: UK phone theft hotspots reveal where you’re most likely to be targeted
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Data from 29 police forces across the UK shows where victims are most likely to be targeted. The number of mobile phone thefts reported to police has almost doubled over the past five years - with data obtained by The Independent revealing the UK’s hotspots for the crimes. Home secretary Yvette Cooper said the increase in thefts was being driven by organised crime as she pledged more powers for police to tackle the wave, while also calling on tech companies to improve device security.
Now the true scale of mobile phone thefts across the UK can be revealed with new figures on the number of offences provided by 29 of the UK’s 45 police forces through freedom of information requests. They show that more than three-quarters of incidents took place in London. The capital city, home to nine million people, also saw the biggest percentage rise (167 per cent) in mobile phone thefts from five years ago.
In the 12 months ending in July last year, the Met recorded 64,224 mobile phone thefts, up from 24,082 five years before. City of London saw 1,314, up from 496 five years previously. The figures should not be closely compared from force to force due to different data collection techniques. There was also some slight variation in dates used by forces, with some providing data for 366 days. However, the figures show hotspots outside London, including in Kent, where police recorded 1,722 mobile phones thefts last year.
South Yorkshire Police saw 1,577 mobile phone thefts, while Lancashire Police and Essex Police recorded 1,467 and 1,383 respectively. Police forces with rural areas appeared to record far fewer incidents. Suffolk Police saw 337, Lincolnshire 402 and Gloucestershire just 34. The freedom of information requests also showed the number of robberies, such as muggings, involving a mobile phone recorded by each police force.
Again, the Met Police recorded the highest with 12,402 last year, up from 11,865 five years previously. South Yorkshire saw 372 and Kent recorded 252. Ms Cooper, who held a summit calling for improved security on phones while pledging greater powers for police to tackle the issue, said: “Over the last few years, mobile phone thefts have shot up – often driven by organised crime – leaving our streets feeling less safe. That has to change.”.
