London moped gangs – how many crimes have there been in the capital and where have they happened?

RUTHLESS moped gangs have helped fuel the rise in violent crime in the UK.

Lawless London is proving to be a hot bed for the scooter attacks which are up 1,000 per cent in three years across the country.

How many moped gang attacks have there been in London?

London saw 19,000 scooter attacks in 2017 – up from just 1,053 in 2014.

And in the same period last year there were 12,192 moped thefts across London compared to January 2018 to October 2018 when there were 8,261 offences – a reduction of 32 per cent.

Motorcycles have been used in crimes such as phone snatches, gem store raids and acid attacks.

Victims are often targeted as they’re coming out of tube stations and other transport hubs where they’re more vulnerable to attacks.

Thieves snatch handbags, watches and other expensive items before making an easy getaway.

Authorities told last year that one gang carried out 30 robberies in the capital within an hour period.

In October 2016, a man was jailed for snatching 21 phones in one hour while riding a moped before he was chased down by a police helicopter.

When and where have the London attacks happened?

• April-May 2017: A gang of three teenage boys – aged 15, 16 and 17 – committed over 100 crimes while riding mopeds in the boroughs of Camden, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster.
• July 13, 2017: Five people were attacked with acid in a 90-minute period by two men riding scooters.
• The victims, who were all riding mopeds, had their bikes hijacked in the assaults in Hackney, Stoke Newington and Islington.
• July 14, 2017: A moped rider was attacked with a “noxious substance” by two men riding a scooter in Dagenham, East London.
• July 15, 2017: Danny Pearce was stabbed to death by a moped gang in Greenwich.
• October 2017: Charity worker Abdul Samad, 28, was stabbed to death in Maida Vale, West London, by a scooter gang who were attempting to steal his phone. In April, 2018, two teenage robbers, dubbed the “highway men for the 21st Century”, were convicted of murder following Abdul’s death.
• December 2017: A ten-strong moped gang were jailed for 110 years after a series of £1.2m raids across the capital.
• June 2018: Comedian Michael McIntyre had his Rolex watch stolen by hammer-wielding moped thugs in North West London.
• June 3, 2018: A businessman revealed his injuries after he was slashed by zombie knife-wielding moped muggers for his £30,000 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak timepiece after they pulled up alongside him on the North Circular
• June 5, 2018: Heroic bystanders risked their lives to try to stop a moped gang armed with “machete-type” knives moments after they raided a jewellers on Regent Street.
• June 8, 2018: Moped muggers scream “Give us the gold” as they robbed a family of jewellery at knifepoint in Coulsdon, Surrey.
• June 9, 2018: A 14-year-old boy was charged over seven moped muggings in one hour around North London the previous week
• June 21, 2018: A moped gang targeted a woman and three-year-old child before being chased off by heroes with scaffolding poles in Richmond. Amanda Holden shared footage of the attack and branded the thugs “scumbags”.

How are cops fighting back against moped crime?

New tactics are being employed by police in a bid to smash moped gangs plaguing London’s streets.

Metropolitan Police officers will now be able to ram into moped-riding thieves even when they’re not wearing helmets, riding dangerously or disguising themselves.

Cops shared a video showcasing the forceful strategy – which specially trained “Scorpion” officers can carry out during high-speed chases.

The footage shows moped riders being smashed into by blue light police cars in London streets.

Commander Amanda Pearson of Frontline Policing, said: “The Met is at the forefront of tackling moped and motorcycle crime and I am pleased to see that we have seen a reduction in offences. However, we are not complacent and we will continue to work tirelessly across London to maintain this downward trend.

“Operation Venice can call on all manner of tactics from an experienced investigation team to police helicopters to tackle and arrest offenders.

“There is a perception that if you remove your helmet or fail to stop for police when requested to do so we will not take any further course of action. This is untrue.

“The public quite rightly expects us to intervene to keep London safe. Our highly trained police drivers weigh up the risks and decide upon the most appropriate tactics in those circumstances.”

What has caused the rise in moped attacks?

Authorities believe the surge in moped-related robberies could be driven by an increase in the value of smartphone parts.

Met Police officials say criminal gangs are also getting better at bypassing the security of stolen handsets.

Aside from mobile phones, many of the attacks involve the criminals hijacking others scooters.

Police stats in 2017 showed that around 1,500 mopeds or motorcycles are stolen in London every month.

The poor security of these vehicles, coupled with their ability to easily mount curbs, is thought to be behind the surge in robberies.

Experts, such as former Metropolitan Police chief inspector Peter Kirkham, also believe budget cuts to cops have contributed to a rise in violent crimes in the city.

Speaking with , Kirkham said: “Cuts to police officers mean fewer officers on the street and fewer officers investigating crimes.

“There is no time for officers to carry out stop and search, and the bad guys have noticed.

“They know they can get away with more and more… It’s not rocket science.”

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