E-bike crime crackdown leads to 187 arrests

The Metropolitan Police has arrested 187 people and seized 157 vehicles as part of a crackdown on prolific thieves using e-bikes and mopeds in Westminster.

The arrests were for a variety of offences including possession of dangerous weapons, drug-related crimes, robbery and theft.

The force said plain-clothed and uniformed officers carried out patrols in hotspot areas and stopped offenders known to police. The operations ran from February to July.

Det Supt Gareth Gilbert, who led the operation, said officers were "staying one step ahead of the criminals who use high-powered bikes or mopeds to steal from Londoners".

The Met said e-bike-related crime fell by 22% during the operation in key transport and tourist hubs in Southwark and Lambeth, including Waterloo and London Bridge.

Footage released by the Met shows officers using high-powered Sur-Ron e-bikes to pursue suspects who were trying to evade police.

The force has recently expended its fleet of these bikes from five to 25.

Gilbert added: "By disrupting this criminality and making hundreds of arrests, we're making London a safer place to live, work and visit.

"Our approach is working, with neighbourhood crime down 14% over the past year and 13,000 fewer phone thefts."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk