Hackney is the borough with the highest number of bike thefts in London, with nearly five bikes stolen per 1,000 people.
Analysis of Metropolitan Police data by Lawtons Solictors found that 1,363 bike thefts were reported in Hackey in the year ending April 2025, with neighbouring boroughs Islington and Tower Hamlets also in the top five worst affected.
Cycling is a hugely popular mode of transport in the capital, with an estimated 1.33 million bike journeys made per day according to TfL, but some cyclists are now opting to leave their bike at home due to concerns for their safety.
Hackney resident Declan King said: “I used to ride my bike almost daily – to work, to the gym, and wherever else.
“But now it just doesn’t feel safe. I have multiple friends in the area who’ve had their bike stolen, either when it was locked up or when they were actually riding it.
“I’m very conscious of being watched or followed when I’m on my bike and feel very stressed when leaving it anywhere – even if it’s only for a few minutes. I tend to travel by bus or tube now.
“It’s such a shame, because Hackney is an area that’s very cycling-friendly. There’s loads of bike lanes, cycleways and green spaces that aren’t being used as much because people don’t feel safe on their bikes.”
Of the thousands of bicycle thefts committed across London in the last year, only 1% had a positive outcome—meaning that the incident resulted in an arrest, prosecution, or conviction.
Andy Hodbell, a Criminal Solicitor and Partner at Lawtons Solictors, says the main reason why this figure is so low is the difficulty police have when identifying suspects.
He said: “One major factor contributing to increasing theft is that it’s still so easy for criminals to get away with the offence.
“Unfortunately, suspects aren’t being identified because there’s usually no relationship between themselves and the victim, and it’s a relatively low-priority crime for the police to pursue.”
Even specially made bike locking facilities equipped with the means of identifying suspects offer little protection.
Morgan Robinson lives in Richmond upon Thames, the borough with the tenth highest bike theft rate, and recently had his bike stolen.
Having secured his bike using a D lock in Teddington train station’s Cycle Hub – a bike storage facility with CCTV inside – Robinson returned an hour later to find it gone.
He reported the crime straight away, and was later told by local police that they were contacting Teddington station for CCTV footage of the incident.
However, he was then informed that the case would have to be dropped as the thieves were wearing balaclavas and could not be identified.
He said: “The police got back to me saying that while the CCTV could be used for insurance purposes, it was no good to them as they couldn’t identify the perpetrators involved.
“I wasn’t gone for long. The thieves must have been in and out very quickly, and not been bothered about the fact they were by a busy train station.”
While he understands that little can be done to recover his bike, Robinson says he is not convinced that the presence of CCTV at bike storage facilities like Teddington Cycle Hub is an effective deterrent to thieves.
He said: “I know that crimes such as these are a relatively low priority for the police, as not much can be done to track the thieves down and there are much bigger issues to tackle.
“But I’m not sure bike storage facilities do much to deter thieves, and I don’t think bikes locked there are any safer.
“Mine was right in front of the CCTV cameras, and I knew exactly when the crime occurred – but nothing could be done.
“I’ve been even more cautious since, but it’s made me realise that there is always a risk of bike theft in London, no matter when or where.”
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