UK government launches crackdown on 'snatch thefts' running at 200 a day

An estimated 78,000 people had their phones or bags stolen in the year to March 24

Metropolitan Police officers on duty in Leicester Square, London. Getty Images

The UK government has launched a new crackdown on “snatch thefts” of mobile phones, bags, wallets and other belongings, with more than 200 incidents a day in England and Wales.

Officials have announced new intelligence units would support “surge police patrols” in theft hotspots, mainly in major cities.

About 78,000 people had possessions stolen without force being used or threatened in the year to March, compared to 31,000 incidents in the same period last year, according to data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales.

At dozens of incidents each day, it is the highest rate in more than a decade, and almost 60 per cent higher than the annual average since 2012/13.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has set out action to tackle the problem, calling in tech companies and manufacturers to discuss whether new tech could better protect customers – such as auto-disabling smartphones and tracking where they end up.

A planned summit would look at “new innovations that could take on the illegal market”, potentially building on antitheft smartphone features some firms have already rolled out. Ministers will also work with the police to launch a probe into what is driving this kind of crime and measures to support local forces as they increase their patrols in high-risk areas.

Operation Opal – the national police intelligence unit – will gather urgent information on the criminals who steal mobile phones, and where these devices end up, providing a stronger picture of the stolen mobile phone market to identify what more needs to be done to tackle the problem.

The plans will bolster previous efforts during Operation Calibre, the name given to a police week of action against personal robbery in November 2023, when forces targeted more than 1,250 known hotspot areas, increasing visibility, activity and arrests.

Police intelligence suggests the rise is probably being driven by increased demand for second-hand smartphones, both in the UK and abroad.

Just 0.8 per cent of “theft from the person” incidents resulted in a charge, with 81.9 per cent of police investigations closed before a suspect was found.

'Snatch theft' of mobile phones, bags, wallets and other belongings are increasing in England and Wales. Getty Images

Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said: “With new phones coming to market and young people going back to school and university, many of us will have a new phone in our hands at this time of year.

“These figures are troubling and the government is determined to do whatever's necessary to protect people entitled to walk the streets without the threat of robbery.”

She added: “Phone companies must ensure that any stolen phones can be quickly, easily and permanently disabled, rather than re-registered for sale on the second-hand market, and we will be meeting them soon to discuss what further action is required to make that happen.

“If we work together, government, tech companies and law enforcement can break the business model of the phone thieves and moped gangs who rely on this trade.”

One of the black spots likely to benefit is wealthy parts of central London where luxury watch thefts – which are often violent – are also becoming more prevalent, with incidents doubling to 11,035 a year between 2015 and 2022, according to figures from Watchfinder UK.

London is at the centre, with a 56 per cent rise in thefts and 6,000 watches stolen in the capital last year alone, in a surge dubbed the Rolex ripper crime wave.

The 10 most expensive watches stolen in the UK in 2023 – in pictures

1. Richard Mille Rm 52-01. Value: £1,000,000. Getty Images

2. Richard Mille Rm 035-2. Value: £400,000. AFP

3. Richard Mille Rm 011. Value: £250,000. Getty Images

4. Roger Dubuis Excalibur. Value: £200,000. Getty Images

5. Patek Phillipe 5980/1R-001. Value: £140,000. Photo: Sotheby's

6. Richard Mille Rm005, 18ct rose gold. Value: £130,000. Alamy

7. FP Joune Octa Zodiaque. Value: £125,000. Photo: Christie's

8. Patek Phillipe 5130p 014 World Time Dubai edition. Value: £110,000. Photo: Christie's

9. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak chronograph full 18ct rose gold. Value:£75,000. Alamy

10. Rolex Daytona. Value: £65,000. Alamy

The Met has dedicated extra resources to tackling the problem and this year revealed details of an operation in which undercover officers wearing luxury watches late at night in central London were used as bait to lure robbers before their colleagues moved in to make arrests.

The luxury market for watches and jewellery does not seem to have taken a hit from the high profile thefts. It is recovering from a hit in recent years due to cost-of-living pressures. The UK's biggest seller of Rolex and Omega watches, Watches of Switzerland, said it is confident of boosting sales and profitability over the full 2024 year.

The firm confirmed on Tuesday it remains on track for sales to grow by up to 12 per cent to about £1.73 billion over 2024-25, and for an improvement in profit margins.

The group's profit plunged 40 per cent to £92 million in the year to April 28, but it said in June that it was starting to see signs of an improvement in trading as consumer confidence rebuilds despite the crime spree.

“Based on current trading, confidence of supply in both markets, increased certainty on the timing of key showroom projects, and visibility of new product launches, we have confidence in delivering our full-year 2024-25 guidance as set out at the 2023-24 results,” it said.

Luxury branded jewellery has also “performed well” worldwide, the company said, while it is looking to open its new Manchester jewellery boutique in April next year as the exclusive retail partner for a number of luxury jewellery brands outside of London.