Pickpocketing on the London tube: Theft soars by 83% with popular tourist destinations key targets

16.12.2023 - 14:48 / euronews.com / Tate Modern / Angela Symons / London

Pickpocketing is rife on the London Underground, new statistics have revealed.

Crime on the Tube increased by 56 per cent overall between April and September this year, compared to the same period last year, according to data from Transport for London (TfL).

Theft soared by 83 per cent, while robberies were up by 107 per cent. This is despite passenger numbers falling by 11 per cent.

“We know that thieves target busy places including our public transport networks and we are working closely with the police to tackle theft,” a TfL spokesperson tells Euronews Travel.

While theft is nothing new on London’s trains, it's uncommon to see the organised gangs of pickpockets that operate in major European cities like Paris, Barcelona or Milan.

But with the latest spike, visitors to the UK capital should be on their guard.

As you might expect, busy transport and tourist hubs are key targets for pickpockets.

If you’re arriving on the Eurostar at King’s Cross St Pancras, take care when getting on the Tube. On the London Underground, 39 per cent of thefts - taking property without consent - were committed at stations, and this one was a hotspot.

Leicester Square, in the heart of the West End Theatre District, and Oxford Circus - the gateway to Europe's busiest shopping street - were also singled out.

The Northern Line was the most targeted route for on-train thefts with 676 offences, followed by the Jubilee Line and the Piccadilly Line.

Though less common, robberies were more likely to take place at stations (59 per cent) than on trains. East London shopping hub Stratford had the most targeted station, seeing 14 offences between April and September.

Be particularly vigilant if you’re visiting London on a weekend, as 55 per cent of thefts on the Underground were committed between Friday and Sunday. Avoid peak travel times if you can: 23 per cent of thefts occurred during the evening rush hour (5pm to 8pm).

Although crime hasn’t risen as much on London buses as on the Tube, you should still remain wary.

Westminster - where you’ll find Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace - saw the highest percentage of bus-related offences (14 per cent). It was followed by Southwark (9 per cent), home to Borough Market, The Shard, Tower Bridge, and the Tate Modern.

The top three boroughs for bus-related robberies between April and September were Croydon in south London, Haringey in north London, and Westminster.

In the face of rising crime rates, 32 per cent of Londoners say they’ve felt worried on public transport in the past three months - especially on the Underground and buses.

Drunken behaviour on both modes of transport was a key concern, especially for female passengers. Anti-social behaviour by youths and school children