Islington tops London crime rates outside Central London

Islington has the highest crime rate in London outside the central boroughs, with 132 offences recorded for every 1,000 residents. Home Office data for the year ending March 2026 places the borough above all but four areas in England and Wales. Only Middlesbrough, Blackpool, Manchester and Hartlepool reported higher rates.

Westminster remains the most crime-dense area in the country. The borough recorded 355 crimes per 1,000 residents, more than twice the rate of any other local authority. The figure is inflated by the millions of tourists who visit each year, according to the Home Office. Theft from the person is 13 times higher in Westminster than in Birmingham.

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Crime falls but some offences rise

London recorded 925,694 crimes in the year to March 2026, a 3% drop on the previous 12 months. Theft from the person fell by 23%, personal robbery by 11% and vehicle offences by 9%. Westminster saw nearly 14,000 fewer offences, the largest reduction in the capital.

Some categories of crime increased. Sexual offences rose by 4%, stalking and harassment by the same amount, robbery by 10%, drug offences by 12% and possession of weapons by 8%. The Metropolitan Police said a crackdown on phone theft led to 13,000 fewer offences across London, with numbers halving in the West End.

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Police defend use of facial recognition

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said London is “massively safe” and accused competitor cities and state actors of amplifying negative content about the capital. He told the Press Association that Iran and Russia, as well as cities such as Brussels and Barcelona, spread disinformation to undermine London’s reputation.

London is massively safe. There are hostile states out there, Russia and Iran, who try to undermine stability in other countries. They are magnifying some of this content.

Sir Mark Rowley, Metropolitan Police Commissioner

Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan said bot farms in Vietnam and Sri Lanka, as well as Maga influencers in the United States, also spread false claims about crime in the capital. He described the activity as an attempt to damage London’s economy and global standing.

Rowley defended the use of live facial recognition technology, which was rolled out to all police forces in England and Wales in January 2026. He said 80% of Londoners support the measure, according to survey data. The technology has been criticised by human rights groups, including Liberty, which argues it disproportionately targets ethnic minorities.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission ruled last year that the Met’s policy on facial recognition was unlawful. The watchdog said the force’s safeguards were inadequate and incompatible with human rights laws. Khan said the technology was a “proportionate response” to rising crime threats.

What happens next

The Home Office will publish updated crime figures in October 2026. The Metropolitan Police said it will continue its crackdown on theft and robbery, with a focus on high-tourist areas such as Westminster. Residents can check local crime rates using the Home Office’s interactive crime map.