Record 116,000 mobile phones stolen in London last year; only 169 suspects charged

Metropolitan Police data revealed 116,656 mobile phone thefts in London in 2024, a record high, surpassing 2017’s 77,000 by over 50%. This equates to 13 phones stolen hourly. Westminster saw the most thefts at 34,039, followed by Camden (10,907) and Southwark (7,316).

Shockingly, only 169 suspects faced charges, with seven receiving cautions, despite the soaring thefts. Dr. Lawrence Newport, founder of Crush Crime, stated: ‘We are in the midst of a phone theft epidemic, and our government is failing to act.’ He noted that 10% of offenders commit half of all crimes, pointing to career criminals.

Apple iPhones topped the stolen list with 71,000 cases, followed by Samsung at 14,000. Thefts peaked between 4pm and 7pm, with 8,975 reported from 6pm to 7pm. From 2017 to 2024, nearly 684,000 phones, valued at £365 million, were stolen.