BBC
Sir Mark Rowley said the force was taking e-bikes off “menacing individuals”
The Met Police has seized 2,500 e-bikes and e-scooters this year as part of a crackdown on criminals using high-speed cycles to snatch mobile phones and commit robberies.
In 2024, the force recorded more than 80,500 mobile phone thefts and robbery incidents – up from almost 65,000 the year before.
Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said by seizing e-bikes and e-scooters being used criminally in London they were “taking the bikes off the menacing individuals using them”.
The Met’s most recent figures for theft from a person and personal robbery showed that between 1 April and 22 October 2025 the offences were down by 16.6% and 13.5% respectively.
Among those who have been a victim of phone snatching is Amah, who said his phone was stolen by someone on an e-bike outside Moorgate station in March.
“It all happened within a few seconds,” he said.
“It left me startled. They came on the pavement on their bike behind me and sped up.”
The Met Police said it was seizing e-bikes being used criminally
Amah said he walked to a police station close to Liverpool Street station, and when he arrived, there was a woman at the front desk whose phone had also been snatched.
“Her phone was snatched about 200m before me on the same street, so she was reporting the same crime as I was,” he said.
David, another victim, said his mobile phone was snatched from his grip by a man on an e-bike outside King’s Cross Station in September.
He said: “I’ve never had my phone stolen before, but when your phone is stolen, it’s so much.
“It’s photos you haven’t downloaded, and the big financial cost, as well as all of the hassle.”
David said the police officers who arrived told him “20 phones are stolen each shift”.
He said he was able to track his phone to a £9m property in east London and sent the Met a copy of its location.
He said: “It’s not going to be just my phone in that house. So I’m just thinking ‘Why is that not being investigated, there and then?’”
Sir Mark said tackling phone thefts and robberies was a “priority” for the force.
“We’re making a lot of progress,” he said.
“We’re going after the thieves, we’ve bought specialist bikes that officers do pursuits on, we’re going after the handlers and we’re going after organised crime.”
Commander Neerav Patel said the force was seeing “concerning” numbers of phone thefts
Neerav Patel, commander for neighbourhood policing at the Met Police, said there were “concerning” numbers of phone snatchers working on e-bikes, and described the thefts as one of the “most nefarious uses” of e-bikes.
He said the force was also aiming to crack down on anti-social e-bike riding, including those riding on pavements and going through red lights.
“[They are] a danger to themselves and to the innocent members of the public,” he said.
