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The roads where you're most likely to have your mobile stolen in London's West End as phone theft soars to record levels
The roads where you're most likely to have your mobile stolen in London's West End as phone theft soars to record levels

Daily Mail​

time04-07-2025

  • Daily Mail​

The roads where you're most likely to have your mobile stolen in London's West End as phone theft soars to record levels

The worst streets for mobile phone theft in London 's West End were revealed today with nearly 18 devices being snatched every day on Oxford Street. Europe's busiest shopping road had 6,539 reports of phones being taken last year - ahead of Regent Street on 2,002, according to Metropolitan Police data. Shaftsbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road in the theatre district were third and fourth with 1,032 and 946 respectively between January and December 2024. Completing the top ten were Wardour Street on 929, Greek Street on 623, Piccadilly on 591, Old Compton Street on 507, Strand on 494 and Leicester Square on 455. Figures showing Westminster's 'repeat streets' for mobile phone thefts have been released by Scotland Yard following a Freedom of Information request. Former Met Detective Chief Inspector Mick Neville has urged the force to do more to fight phone crime - after he nearly fell victim to a theft himself three months ago. Mr Neville, who managed to hold onto his phone during the incident outside Charing Cross railway station, told The Standard: 'What are the Met doing? 'It's not difficult when you actually know which roads are being targeted. Officers need to be less concerned with the psychology of crime and catch more criminals. 'These snatchers must be laughing at the law because they know just one per cent of thefts are solved. Each of the 30 streets must have hundreds of CCTV cameras. 'So the second thing is to actually gather images. See if they are wearing distinctive clothing - even if you can't see their faces - and link offenders to multiple offences.' Phone theft has become an epidemic in London, hitting a record level last year – with the number of devices snatched more than tripling in four years. Some 70,137 phones were reported stolen to the Met in the capital in 2024, up by nearly 40 per cent from 52,428 in 2023. As recently as 2020, the figure was 20,000. Susan Hall AM, leader of the City Hall Conservative Group, told MailOnline: '6,539 thefts on Oxford Street alone is obscene. 'With the prospect of pedestrianisation looming, I've spoken to residents in Westminster who are horrified at how police cuts and pedestrianisation will only exacerbate this. 'For God's sake, Sadiq - get a grip on this and actually put the welfare of the public first. His inaction is rapidly making the West End more and more lawless.' Her Tory colleague Neil Garratt, who wrote the Tackling London's Theft Epidemic report earlier this year, added: 'These figures are shocking but not surprising. 'In February, my report into London's spiralling phone theft epidemic showed exactly how the Mayor can get a grip, but he refuses. 'Instead, he sits back blaming the phone companies while Londoners and visitors to our great city fear to take out their phone. This problem is solvable, so I am urging him, again, to take action now.' Earlier this week, Bridgerton star Genevieve Chenneour revealed she had left London and moved back in with her mother after her phone was grabbed by a teenage thief. The actress was targeted by 18-year-old Zacariah Boulares at a Joe & The Juice café in Kensington in February – and the prolific criminal was jailed for just 22 months on Tuesday despite embarking on a 'ruthless' spree of thefts. One of the capital's most prolific phone snatchers, Sonny Stringer, was jailed for two years in August last year after stealing 24 phones in just one morning before evading police by riding on an electric motorbike at speeds of nearly 50mph. And in November 2024, four prolific London phone thieves were jailed for handling more than 5,000 stolen phones - with two spending thousands of pounds from victims' bank accounts. Zakaria Senadjki, 31, Nazih Cheraitia, 34, Ahmed Abdelhakim Belhanafi, 25, and Riyadh Mamouni, also 25, were sentenced to a total of 18 years. The cost of their crimes was said to have totalled £5.1million, with officers believing many of the phones were sold abroad. A Met spokeswoman said today: 'We are seeing phone thefts on an industrial scale, fuelled by criminals making millions by being able to easily sell on stolen devices either here or abroad. 'In response, we have increased patrols in hotspot areas while officers are using phone-tracking data and intelligence to pursue those responsible. 'By intensifying our efforts, we're catching more perpetrators and protecting people from having their phones stolen in the capital. 'The Met is also working with other agencies and government to tackle the organised criminality driving this trade and calling on tech companies to make stolen phones unusable. 'We are reminding victims to report their phone as stolen as soon as possible to maximise the chance of catching the perpetrator, too often thefts are reported hours or days later.' 'The first thing Sir Mark Rowley needs to do is put extra officers on those streets, not only patrolling but ready to stop those on the e-bikes.' Conservative politicians have called on London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan to do more to address growing concerns about the spiralling crime rates in the capital. And a spokesperson for the Labour politician told MailOnline: 'The Mayor has long been clear we need decisive and coordinated action to halt the burgeoning global trade of stolen phones which is driving criminality and violence across the world. 'Evidence shows the majority of phones stolen in London are being reconnected in other countries as far as China and Algeria – a large proportion of which are still able to access Play and Apple cloud services to download apps. 'The Mayor has repeatedly warned it is simply too easy and profitable for criminals to repurpose and sell on stolen phones. This must change. 'City Hall is working closely with the Met to tackle the scourge of phone thefts in London. This includes increasing police patrols and plain-clothed operations in hotspot areas, like the West End and Westminster, where nearly 40 per cent of phone thefts occur. 'But the police can't defeat this industrial scale crime on their own and the Mayor will continue to push the mobile phone industry to go much further in preventing stolen phones being used, sold and repurposed, to build a safer London for all.' Earlier this week London was revealed as the 15th most dangerous city for crime in Europe – and the 100th worst out of 385 locations around the world, according to Numbeo's Crime Index . There was also outrage last month after veteran broadcaster Selina Scott, 74, revealed she was viciously attacked and robbed in broad daylight in Piccadilly earlier this month. The stalwart of British TV was leaving a Waterstones shop on June 17 when she was struck on the back of her right knee, leaving her feeling as if she had been 'stabbed'. She was set upon by a gang who attempted to grab her backpack. Fighting back, she kept hold of the bag – but one of the thieves unzipped it and took her purse before running off. Ms Scott lost her bank cards, driving licence and cash in the robbery. And Matt Goodwin, senior visiting professor of politics at the University of Buckingham, wrote in the Daily Mail last week: 'London is over. It's so over.' He cited data showing that there were 90,000 shoplifting offences in the capital last year, up 54 per cent. Professor Goodwin added that there is now an alleged rape every hour in London – and reported sexual offences against women and girls has risen 14 per cent in five years, while homelessness and rough sleeping increased 26 per cent in one year. Meanwhile a policing expert told MailOnline last week that the incident involving Ms Scott showed London had become a 'crime-ridden cesspit'. Ex-New Scotland Yard detective Peter Bleksley said the force was now so stretched in the West End that private security companies were being deployed to help. He condemned the 'epidemic of crime' in London from pickpocketing to violence and fare evasion to robbery, adding that it was 'driving people away' from the capital.

Louth girls ready for kick-off as they chase Gaynor Cup glory in top Limerick tournament
Louth girls ready for kick-off as they chase Gaynor Cup glory in top Limerick tournament

Irish Independent

time02-06-2025

  • Sport
  • Irish Independent

Louth girls ready for kick-off as they chase Gaynor Cup glory in top Limerick tournament

The academy's 2011 squad (under-14s) are testing themselves against elite teams from across the country in Ireland's premier underage football tournament, which takes place at the University of Limerick. The Louth girls' group campaign kicks off against Kilkenny this Monday at 6pm, followed by a double header tomorrow as they take on Mayo at noon and Tipperary South at 6pm. All teams in the competition then progress to the various knockout matches which run from Wednesday until Friday, with a Cup, Shield, Bowl and Trophy all up for grabs. Louth's campaign officially kicked off last Thursday with a special Gaynor Cup launch night at the Monasterboice Inn, to mark the beginning of what promises to be a thrilling journey through the iconic national tournament. To celebrate their selection, each squad member was presented with their official squad number and kit, whilst the coaching staff overseeing the trip were introduced. Head coach and LSGL chairperson Robbie Corr said: 'The Gaynor Cup is the pinnacle of U14 girls' football in Ireland, and our squad is full of talent, ambition and pride in representing Louth.' 'Everyone at the LSGL would like to thank all our sponsors for supporting the squad as they head to such a prestigious tournament. We hope the girls enjoy a brilliant and memorable tournament and we wish them the best of luck.' Mick Neville, FAI regional development officer for Co Louth, said: 'This is more than football. It's about teamwork, opportunity and inspiring the next generation of female athletes.' Louth Gaynor Cup squad Goalkeepers: Féile May Buckley (Walshestown), Abi Osawaru (Rock Celtic) Defenders: Anna Cromwell (Dromin United), Lily-Mae Curtis (Square United), Erin Kavanagh (Albion Rovers), Grace McEvoy (Rock Celtic), Mia Van Der Westhuizen (Rock Celtic) Defenders/Midfielders: Masie Ball (Rock Celtic), Anna-May Lynch (Blayney Academy), Anna-Lilly McDonnell (Rock Celtic), Anna-Kelly O'Reilly (East Meath United), Ellen Wright (Castletown Belles) Midfielders: Ava Fanning (Albion Rovers), Ellie Malone (Albion Rovers), Sophie McCabe (Castletown Belles), Hollie Rogers (Muirhevna Mor) Forwards: Hillary Adeniran (Albion Rovers), Éabha Byrne (Castletown Belles), Rosie Fox (Quay Celtic), Sophia Mackin (Quay Celtic) Louth coaching/support team

Louth girls bid for Gaynor Cup glory
Louth girls bid for Gaynor Cup glory

Irish Independent

time01-06-2025

  • Sport
  • Irish Independent

Louth girls bid for Gaynor Cup glory

The academy's 2011 squad (under-14s) will test themselves against elite teams from across the country in Ireland's premier underage football tournament, which takes place at the University of Limerick. Louth kick off their campaign on Monday evening against Kilkenny in the opening game of Group 5 (kick-off 6pm), before back-to-back fixtures on Tuesday, against Mayo (12pm) and Tipperary South (6pm). All teams in the competition then progress to knockout competitions from Wednesday to Friday, with a Cup, Shield, Bowl and Trophy all up for grabs. Louth's campaign officially kicked off last Thursday night (29 May), with a special Gaynor Cup launch night at the Monasterboice Inn, to mark the beginning of what promises to be a thrilling journey through the iconic national tournament. To celebrate their selection, each squad member was presented with their official squad number and kit, whilst the coaching staff overseeing the trip were introduced. Head coach and Louth School Girls League (LSGL) chairperson Robbie Corr said: "The Gaynor Cup is the pinnacle of U14 girls' football in Ireland, and our squad is full of talent, ambition, and pride in representing Louth. "Everyone at the LSGL would like to thank all our sponsors for supporting the squad as they head to such a prestigious tournament. We hope the girls enjoy a brilliant and memorable tournament and we wish them the best of luck." Mick Neville, FAI regional development officer for Co Louth, added: "This is more than football. It's about teamwork, opportunity, and inspiring the next generation of female athletes." Louth 2025 Gaynor Cup squad Goalkeepers: Féile May Buckley (Walshestown), Abi Osawaru (Rock Celtic); Defenders: Anna Cromwell (Dromin United), Lily-Mae Curtis (Square United), Erin Kavanagh (Albion Rovers), Grace McEvoy (Rock Celtic), Mia Van Der Westhuizen (Rock Celtic); Defenders / Midfielders: Masie Ball (Rock Celtic), Anna-May Lynch (Blayney Academy), Anna-Lilly McDonnell (Rock Celtic), Anna-Kelly O'Reilly (East Meath United), Ellen Wright (Castletown Belles); Midfielders: Ava Fanning (Albion Rovers), Ellie Malone (Albion Rovers), Sophie McCabe (Castletown Belles), Hollie Rogers (Muirhevna Mor); Forwards: Hillary Adeniran (Albion Rovers), Éabha Byrne (Castletown Belles), Rosie Fox (Quay Celtic), Sophia Mackin (Quay Celtic) Louth 2025 Gaynor Cup Coaching and Support Team: Head Coach: Robbie Corr; Coach: Joel Patino; Assistant Coach: Ciara Floyd; Goalkeeper Coach: Micheal O'Connor; Female Liaison Officer: Niamh Mulholland; First Aid & Medical Lead: Aimee Thornton; League Head of Delegation: Sinead McDonnell.

Criminals failed to carry out 1.1million hours of community work over six months
Criminals failed to carry out 1.1million hours of community work over six months

The Irish Sun

time01-05-2025

  • The Irish Sun

Criminals failed to carry out 1.1million hours of community work over six months

CRIMINALS failed to carry out 1.1million hours of community work over six months, figures show. The Government is urging courts to use 2 The Government is urging courts to use non-custodial punishment instead of jail due to overcrowding But the latest probation service data obtained under freedom of information laws shows that from January 1 to June 30 last year, 1,113,310 hours' unpaid work was not carried out in England and Wales. Community orders ranging from 40 to 300 hours are normally given for offences such as theft, assaults and criminal damage but are often imposed on top of The unpaid work can include removing graffiti and helping charities. Ex-Met detective chief inspector Mick Neville said: 'We are told that rather than sending villains to jail, they'll be punished by working in the community. read more on crime 'But thousands of offenders aren't doing what they've been ordered to do. "Criminals are laughing at the justice system.' The Ministry of Justice said work may not have been done due to court orders expiring or being revoked and offenders being deported, taken into custody or dying. Meanwhile, London's Met Police revealed there were 4,527 breaches by offenders on electronic tags over the same six months — yet only 1,054 resulted in an arrest. Most read in The Sun Mr Neville said: 'It's unacceptable that just 23 per cent of tag breaches resulted in police action. "This just tells criminals that they can get away with breaking curfews or entering areas excluded to them.' 2 Community orders are normally given for offences such as theft, assaults and criminal damage Credit: Getty JAIL DRUGS CRISIS Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club. Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club.

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