Akhil Gupta

Visiting London? Know which neighbourhoods and streets attract pickpockets, phone snatchers and late-night trouble — plus up-to-date crime trends, practical safety tips, emergency numbers and official links every tourist should have.

Quick summary – What every traveller should know when visiting London

• London is generally safe for millions of visitors every year, but theft (especially mobile phone snatches and pickpocketing) has been rising and concentrates in busy shopping, nightlife and transport hubs. 

• Hotspot streets for phone thefts and pickpocketing include major West End shopping streets (Oxford Street, Regent Street and surrounding areas) and busy markets and tourist squares. Recent reporting shows Oxford Street consistently among the top streets for phone theft. 

• If you’re a first-time visitor: stay alert around crowded tourist attractions, avoid poorly lit parks at night, secure your belongings and keep valuables out of sight. Repeat visitors benefit by choosing less crowded alternatives to the busiest tourist strips. 

Boroughs & areas to use extra caution – What data says, past ~5 years

Police and government crime dashboards let you see trends by borough and by type of crime. Use them to check the latest local data for the dates of your trip. The Metropolitan Police and London Datastore publish borough-level crime breakdowns updated monthly. 

That said, across recent years (patterns visible in Met and ONS dashboards) the highest volumes of theft and street-theft reports tend to be concentrated in central shopping and nightlife boroughs — notably Westminster (West End, Oxford Street, Leicester Square), Camden (markets, busy streets), Lambeth (parts of Brixton and Waterloo area), Southwark (near Borough Market, London Bridge) and parts of Tower Hamlets / Newham (some busy transport and market zones). These are high-footfall areas where opportunistic theft is most common — not necessarily the most violent offences. Always check the official borough websites before travel. 

Specific places tourists should be careful around in London

(These are not “don’t go ever” bans — they’re common hotspots where you should use caution.)

1. Oxford Street / Regent Street / West End shopping area

   • Extremely busy with shoppers and crowds; several reports show these streets top the lists for mobile phone thefts and pickpockets. Keep phones tucked away while walking, especially when taking photos or using maps. 

2. Leicester Square & Piccadilly Circus (Soho / Chinatown)

   • Packed with tourists and street performers, opportunistic theft and drink-spiking reports increase at night in crowded bars and doorways. Prefer licensed taxis or official rideshare pickup points late at night. 

3. Camden Market & Camden High Street

   • Popular daytime market — but crowded areas are classic pickpocket terrain. Be extra cautious at market entrances/exits and on canal bridges.

4. Major transport hubs: King’s Cross, Euston, London Bridge, Waterloo

   • Busier stations mean more targets for mobile snatches and bag theft. On the Tube, keep bags zipped and phones in inner pockets. Report incidents quickly to British Transport Police. 

5. Some nightlife strips (parts of Shoreditch, certain streets in Soho and parts of Brixton)

   • These areas are lively and fun, but can have incidents of street crime late at night — stick to well-lit streets, go out in groups, and avoid walking alone through quiet side streets or parks after pub/club closing. (Local forums and threads confirm common-sense tips from residents.) 

Nightlife: Which places to avoid at night if you’re a partygoer

• Avoid isolated backstreets and poorly lit parks (e.g., large commons) after dark — even central boroughs may have small pockets that feel unsafe. Use main roads, well-lit areas, and official transport hubs. Check out our Getting around in London page to travel safely.

• In busy club areas (Soho, Shoreditch, Camden), watch your drink, travel in a group if possible and use official black cabs or licensed private hire apps; don’t accept rides from unlicensed drivers.

• If you’re returning late, plan your route, and check the last Tube/rail times or book trains/taxis; Transport for London (TfL) has safety and reporting guidance for late travel. 

Practical tips to avoid phone snatches & pickpockets (what actually works)

• Pocket strategy: keep phone in front zip/inner pocket or a money belt. Don’t leave it in back pockets or an easily grabbed bag.

• Hands-free photos: Use a wrist strap or pocketed selfie stick and put the phone away immediately after.

• Bag positioning: cross-body bags should sit in front of you; consider anti-theft bags with locks.

• Cash & cards: carry only what you need; spread cards/cash across pockets. Use contactless for small purchases.

• Be especially alert when crowds surge (tube doors, events, markets) — thieves use distractions and shoves to steal.

• If your phone is stolen: call your provider to block it, log the theft to the police (you’ll need a crime reference for insurance) and use Find My iPhone / Android Device Manager to try to locate or remotely wipe it.

(These are standard crime-prevention measures recommended by police advice pages and travel safety organisations.) 

If something happens: quick contact numbers & useful websites

• Emergency (life-threatening / crime in progress): 999 (police, ambulance, fire). 

• Non-emergency police: 101 (or report online via the Metropolitan Police website). If calling from abroad, use +44 20 7230 1212 (Met contact page provides details). 

• British Transport Police (for crimes on trains, tubes, stations): Call 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016 (non-emergency). In an emergency, dial 999. 

• Crimestoppers (anonymous reporting): 0800 555 111 or https://crimestoppers-uk.org. 

• Transport for London (TfL) safety & reporting: https://tfl.gov.uk — use the site to check Tube/rail safety guidance and report incidents on the network. 

• Metropolitan Police — stats and local advice: https://www.met.police.uk — local borough pages include advice and community policing contacts. 

Keep these numbers in your phone and note them somewhere offline (screenshot or write them down) — a stolen phone means you might lose the contact list.

Where to go instead — tourist alternatives that are safer and still fun

If you want the London experience without the biggest crowds:

• Instead of Oxford Street, try Marylebone High Street or King’s Road (Chelsea) for boutiques; Covent Garden early morning for markets, but avoid peak afternoons. 

• Instead of Camden Market at its busiest, visit Camden Passage (Islington) or go to Columbia Road Flower Market on Sundays. 

• Instead of Leicester Square crowds, explore Southbank for riverside walks, food markets and street performers (still busy but more spread out).

• For nightlife with a more local feel and generally calmer crowds, consider Greenwich, Richmond or Little Venice for relaxed pubs and evening walks.

What the data shows (short, citeable takeaways)

• Theft and “stealth” crimes (pickpocketing, phone snatches) rose noticeably in recent years across England & Wales, driven by increases in shoplifting, theft from the person and mobile phone thefts — official ONS and policing datasets document those trends. Use Met Police borough dashboards for local detail. 

• Oxford Street and central shopping streets repeatedly appear in police lists of top locations for phone theft. That makes situational awareness there especially important. (Reference – Westminsterconservatives.com)Be careful while travelling around there. 

Final checklist: before you go & while you’re there

• Save 999, 101, 0800 40 50 40 (BTP) and 0800 555 111 (Crimestoppers) in your phone and screenshot them. 

• Keep travel insurance and a scanned copy/photo of passport/IDs in a secure cloud location.

• Use public transport during operating hours where possible; plan late-night taxis from licensed firms or app hires and confirm the car details before getting in.

• If visiting a hotspot (markets, West End), keep a small day bag, zip it, and tuck valuables away.

Useful links (save these)

• Metropolitan Police — crime data & local police contacts: https://www.met.police.uk. 

• London Datastore (MPS crime datasets): https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/recorded_crime_summary. 

• Office for National Statistics (crime bulletins & trends): https://www.ons.gov.uk. 

• British Transport Police contact & text-61016 info: https://www.btp.police.uk/contact. 

• Transport for London — safety reporting & advice: https://tfl.gov.uk