Nearly 230 people a day had their mobile phones stolen from them in England and Wales last year, according to new figures. Police forces recorded at least 83,000 crimes where phones were snatched or robbed from a person in 2025, down 12% from almost 94,000 in 2024, though still above the 80,000 recorded in 2023.
London dominates phone theft figures
More than 72,000 thefts and robberies of phones occurred in the capital last year, representing 87% of all such crimes in England and Wales. This equates to 795 incidents per 100,000 people in London, compared with 21 per 100,000 outside the capital. However, the rate is likely skewed by the high number of tourists visiting London who become victims of crime.
Westminster is the epicentre of phone thefts, with 20,700 thefts and robberies last year, more than any other London borough. Despite this, London saw a fall in phone thefts last year, with the 72,000 incidents down from nearly 81,000 in 2024, a drop of around 13%.
Police crackdown and Apple partnership
The Metropolitan Police Service has launched a new scheme with Apple to make stolen phones unusable. Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: “I gave an ultimatum to tech firms – take urgent steps to prevent stolen phones from being resold and reused, or we will call on Government to step in and legislate.” He added that the partnership is “already making a difference” and that if stolen phones cannot be reactivated, “their value collapses, and so does the incentive to steal them.”
In June, officers launched a ten-day focused crackdown on phone theft across London, codenamed Operation Reckoning. It involved arresting prolific and violent phone thieves, executing search warrants at shops suspected of handling stolen goods, and deploying specialist pursuit drivers known as ‘interceptors’ to track and detain offenders on e-bikes.
Low charge rates and mayoral response
Only about 1% of reported cases result in a formal police charge. In London, roughly 95% of cases are closed without a suspect being identified, and just 0.3% result in a charge.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “Mobile phone thefts fell by 13,000 offences in the last year across London – and have nearly halved in the West End - thanks to an intensive effort involving the police and partner organisations.” The spokesperson highlighted the Mayor’s £1.26 billion investment in neighbourhood policing, new drones and Sur-Ron bikes, and the newly opened Command Cell in the West End. They added: “But we are not complacent and know there is still more to do which is why Sadiq will continue to prioritise neighbourhood policing and push the mobile phone industry to go much further in preventing stolen phones being used, sold and repurposed, building a safer London for everyone.”
