Ten areas of London have topped the list of the UK's worst pickpocketing hotspots in new research.

The figures, put together by Get Licensed from Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, have shone a spotlight on the number of reported pickpocketing crimes across the country between March 2023 and 2024. 

Theft-from-person incidents in London are said to form around 70 per cent of all the UK's incidents according to the security group, with most involving phones.

Westminster ranked top of the list for UK pickpocketing hotspots, with the research saying an average of one in seven people falling victims to the crime. 

In a period of just three years, pickpocketing reports have surged by more than 700 per cent here according to the research.

The ONS has recorded Westminster's population to be around 211,400 people. 

Between March 2023 and 2024, 28,155 reports of incidents were recorded, averaging 133.21 reports per 1,000 people. 

Camden came in second with 6,848 reported crimes in the space of a year, an average of 31.41 reports per 1,000 people of its 218,000-strong population. 

Southwark, with a population of 311,900 people, is the third worst hotspot in the UK with 5,935 reports and an average rate of 19.03 per 1,000 people. 

Kensington and Chelsea was named as the UK's fourth top pickpocketing hotspot. 

The report rate per 1,000 people of its 146,200-strong population has been recorded at 18.86 between March 2023 and 2024, with 2,757 reports made. 

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It is just one of the London areas that saw the largest increase in reports of pickpocketing crimes in a three-year period, with the research saying there had been a 426 per cent rise in cases. 

Hackney, with a reported population of 261,500 people ranked fifth with 3,835 reports and a report rate of 14.67 per 1,000 people. 

Hotspots six to ten were recorded as follows:

  • Islington (population 220,400) - 2,820 reports, report rate of 12.8 per 1,000 people 
  • Lambeth (population 316,800) - 3,443 reports, report rate of 10.87 per 1,000 people
  • Newham (population 358,600) - 3,818 reports, report rate of 10.65 per 1,000 people
  • Tower Hamlets (population 325,800) - 3,007 reports, report rate of 9.23 per 1,000 people
  • Haringey  (population 261,800) - 2,367 reports, report rate of 9.04 per 1,000 people