Londoners are set to see their council tax bills rise by more than £20 on average to fund a major new offensive against the capital's rampant mobile phone theft gangs. Mayor Sadiq Khan has unveiled draft budget plans that would push the portion of council tax paid directly to City Hall above £500 for a typical Band D property for the first time.
Funding a Police Crackdown on Street Crime
The proposed increase forms part of what the Mayor describes as a "difficult decision" to provide "crucial funding" for the Metropolitan Police. Under the new plans, the Greater London Authority (GLA) precept on an average Band D bill would rise from £490.38 to £510.51 in the 2026-27 financial year, a 4.1% increase.
Of the over £20 rise, £15 is earmarked specifically for policing, generating an additional £60 million. A further £5.13 would go towards increased funding for the London Fire Brigade. If approved by the London Assembly next month, the budget would allow for a record City Hall investment of £1.22 billion into policing services.
Sir Sadiq Khan stated his top priority is bearing down on crime and keeping Londoners safe. "That's why I'm taking the difficult decision to increase council tax to provide crucial funding for the police," he said. "This will help to implement a major crack down on phone theft – with more resources to smash the phone theft gangs."
The Scale of London's Phone Theft Epidemic
The move comes as the Met Police grapples with a dramatic surge in mobile phone thefts. Data released last August revealed the shocking scale of the problem:
- 116,656 mobile phones were reported stolen in London in 2024, the highest number on record.
- This equates to roughly 320 phones stolen every day, or 13 every hour.
- The 2024 total was more than 50% higher than the 77,000 thefts recorded in 2017.
- Westminster was the worst-affected borough with 34,039 thefts, followed by Camden (10,907) and Southwark (7,316).
Despite the enormous number of incidents, enforcement has proven challenging. In 2024, only 169 suspects were charged in connection with these thefts, with a mere seven receiving a caution. The estimated total value of phones stolen between 2017 and 2024 is a staggering £365 million.
The trend shows thefts climbed to 91,000 in 2019, dipped during pandemic lockdowns, and then surged past pre-Covid levels to exceed 115,000 in 2023.
Budget Priorities and Next Steps
The Mayor's draft budget outlines how the increased funding will be used. Beyond the specific crackdown on phone theft gangs, the investment aims to build on progress in reducing other serious crimes, including knife crime, gun crime, homicides, and burglary across the capital.
The council tax rise applies to the GLA precept, which is set by the Mayor to fund London-wide services like Transport for London (TfL) and the Met Police. Individual London boroughs set the separate, larger portion of the total council tax bill for local services.
The final budget requires approval from the London Assembly, with a vote scheduled for next month. If passed, the changes will take effect in the 2026-27 financial year, marking a significant shift in how London funds its fight against a crime that affects tens of thousands of residents annually.
