More than 30 locations across London have been identified as the worst for anti-social behaviour, theft and street crime as police patrols are stepped up.
The Metropolitan Police is desperately trying to fight back against a crime epidemic gripping the capital from pickpocketing to violence and fare evasion to robbery.
Some 20 town centre and high street areas now account for 10 per of knife crime, 24 per cent of theft person offences and 6 per cent of anti-social behaviour calls.
These have been identified as ‘Tier 1’ regions – including town centres in Barking, Brixton , Ealing, Croydon, Woolwich, Ilford, Kingston, Romford and Shoreditch.
Other hotspots include Elephant and Castle, Finsbury Park, Seven Sisters, Shepherd’s Bush Green, Silver Street, Stratford, Walthamstow, Whitechapel, Camden Town and Catford. The West End, which has been particularly badly hit, is also on the list.
A further 12 areas were listed as ‘Tier 2’ areas, including town centres of Bromley, Uxbridge and Richmond along with high streets in Sutton, Hounslow and Tooting.
Other regions within this designation include Ladbroke Grove, Harrow on the Hill, Mitcham, Bexleyheath Broadway, Harlesden and Grahame Park in Barnet.
One area facing high crime levels is Camden Town, where MailOnline spoke to shop owners and residents yesterday who said they were sick of it on their doorstep.
Moshin Aln, who has worked in a technology and vape shop in Camden Town in North London for more than two years, told MailOnline that he is concerned about local theft and drug use
Camden Town resident Imer Nezirn, 66, has lived in his home just off the high street for 30 years and told MailOnline he often saw people selling small amounts of drugs outside
Moshin Aln and his brother Falliz Meh, aged 22, have worked in their technology and vape shop for more than two years and are concerned about theft and drug use.
Mr Aln said: ‘People always try to steal from us, but they are never successful. There are too many junkies in Camden. These young ones show up to buy vapes and security come to stop that, but when we really need them, they are never here.
‘I call the police a lot and they never come. They just look at us, but they never look at the customers. The kids are stupid and disrespectful. I think it would be good to have more police presence. I love Camden and our shops need protecting.’
Aish James, 39, who has worked across the market stalls for over three years, said she also sees a lot of theft in the area.
She added: ‘In Camden there are a lot of thieves. In the summertime especially, it is very busy so there are people stealing every day. I know a security guard who was hit recently, and he was in the hospital for a month. It is really bad for them.
‘I feel safe because of the security but it is a real problem. There are so many drunk people, and you just can’t argue with them.’
Another resident, who has lived there with her family for 20 years, said: ‘There is a lot of drug taking in this area. It would be brilliant to have more police. We are trying to bring up a family here.’
A further resident, who wished to remain anonymous, added: ‘Anti-social behaviour is definitely a problem. We get a lot of smashed windows on the cars up here. People are letting off fireworks that burn down shops. There are noise complaints.
‘It is also a nightlife area, so you get a lot of public urination. We have a lot of drug use. I think they need to tackle the root of the problem rather than policing it.
‘The drug users are part of our community. It is the outsiders who cause the problems. The tourists and night-lifers. People want to do crime away from their own homes.’
Giovanni Carrino, 60, who often visits the area, said: ‘I see there is a lot of drinking here. At the weekend you get everybody coming for the drinks so there’s a lot of young people around until the early hours of the morning.
‘There is also a lot of poverty here, which causes more theft. There are always people sleeping on the streets. There should be somewhere that they can go. It’s not fair for them or the residents.
‘There are people selling drugs or doing drugs on every corner. I don’t think that more police will solve the problem.’
Imer Nezirn, 66, has lived in his home just off the high street for 30 years and said the area had changed a lot.
The pensioner claimed that although there is a lot of anti-social behaviour, this had massively improved in recent years.
Camden Town is one of the hotposts particularly badly hit by anti-social behaviour in London
A sign on a door in Camden Town warning against smoking and doing drugs in the area
MailOnline spoke to shop owners and residents in Camden Town who are sick of local crime
He said: ‘I have lived here for decades and so far I am very happy here. When I moved here it was very different, but every year it improves. It is much safer.
‘There are usually people selling small amounts of drugs, but if you don’t bother them then they don’t bother you. They mostly have problems with each other.
‘Every year I think it gets better and better. There used to be people shouting and drinking every night but now it’s much better.’
London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s office has now confirmed there will be increased police patrols and intelligence-led plain-clothed operations in these crime hotspots.
Officials added that detectives will be targeting wanted and prolific offenders who commit multiple offences, particularly shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.
The multi-agency operation involving the Met, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (Mopac), local authorities and community partners is part of the Home Office’s national Safer Streets summer Initiative.
This is running until the end of September and intends to reduce crime in town centres including shop theft, street crime and anti-social behaviour.
But Susan Hall AM, leader of the City Hall Conservative Group, told MailOnline: ‘Crime in London continues to get worse under Labour as Londoners are marauded by criminals across the capital.
A police officer in the West End in Westminster which is one of the crime hotspots in London
‘Despite this, Khan is happy to oversee huge police cuts, denying our officers the resources they need and the public the security required to keep them safe. It’s a disgrace – he needs to get a grip on this.’
The Mayor’s office said the aim of its new drive was to ‘put visible neighbourhood policing at the heart of fighting crime and rebuilding community confidence’.
It added that safer neighbourhood teams now have an additional 500 Met officers and staff ranging from superintendents to community support officers.
Five million additional visitors are expected over the peak summer tourism season and town centres are expected to be very busy with school summer holidays also beginning soon.
The Mayor’s office claimed that the first six weeks of this financial year have seen reductions in a number of crime types compared to the same period last year.
These were highlighted as knife crime, down 18 per cent; residential burglary, also down 18 per cent; theft from the person, down 16 per cent; and personal robbery, down 13 per cent.
The Met are also said to have solved 163 per cent more shoplifting cases this year than in the same period as last year.
But the Mayor’s office admitted: ‘Whilst there have been significant reductions in some crime types since the start of the financial year and since 2016, it’s clear that more needs to be done to ensure everyone in the capital is safe and feels safe.’
A knife-wielding attacker threatened a young girl at Gladstone Park in Dollis Hill last Monday
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan (centre) during a visit to Stratford with police in October 2022
Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes said: ‘Our intelligence and data-led approach to tackle the crimes that matter most to Londoners – such as shoplifting, robbery and anti-social behaviour – is already working.
‘We’re arresting 1,000 more criminals each month, neighbourhood crime is down 19 per cent and we’ve solved 163 per cent more shoplifting cases this year.
‘In 32 of the hardest hit areas, we’re working with the community, councils, businesses and partners, to focus our resources and bear down on prolific offenders and gangs who blight too many neighbourhoods across the capital.’
And Kaya Comer-Schwartz, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said: ‘The safety of our town centres is more than just policing – it’s about building stronger, more connected communities where everyone feels secure.
‘That’s why I was really pleased to meet with local partners and community groups today – along with the police – to strengthen our collaborative work to tackle shoplifting, theft and anti-social behaviour in all its forms.’
Separate data released by the Met last week revealed the force recorded 455,768 offences from January to June 2025.
Theft was the most commonly recorded crime with 148,559 offences, although this was down nearly 5 per cent on 155,483 during the same period last year.
Some 119,721 incidents of violence against a person were recorded, which was marginally up on the 118,696 last year. Vehicle offences were third at 43,929, then arson and criminal damage at 27,643.
Westminster was the borough with the highest level, with 41,639 crimes – including 25,997 thefts and 5,346 offences of violence against a person.
Camden was second with 20,333 – including 10,160 thefts; while Newham was third with 19,789 crimes including 7,028 thefts. Southwark was fourth on 19,698 and Lambeth fifth on 18,578.
Last month, 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 .
Separate research by MailOnline in March uncovered London’s most crime-infested neighbourhoods – with Leicester Square, Covent Garden and the surrounding tourist-laden area now the capital’s hotspot for violent and sex crime.
The analysis, consisting of nearly 5,000 districts across London’s 32 boroughs, also found a small zone straddling Oxford Street and parts of Soho was top for thefts.
