Islington Metropolitan Police tweeted a warning this morning that thieves on mopeds were operating in Old Street.

Detective Superintendent Stuart Ryan confirmed that before midday yesterday, 12 mobile phones were reported as stolen in Islington alone.

This tops the EU charts for bike and moped related crime, and the borough’s crime rate continues to rise.

https://twitter.com/MPSIslington/status/828908795216719872

Yesterday, two Islington men were charged after a series of raids, targeting suspected moped-riding criminals.

According to the Metropolitan Police, London has had a 600% rise the last two years in moped related crime.

The Police have launched a series of schemes including ‘Operation Attrition’ to help tackle bike and moped theft after figures revealed that Islington had the highest rise over the last six months.

Potential victims are being urged not to text while walking around “risky areas” outside train stations, and to stand away from the roadside close to a wall when using their phones so thieves cannot catch them unawares.