Is London really in the grip of a crime wave?

The perception is that phone snatching and watch theft are rife in the capital - but some offences are dropping

- By Lauren Almeida

London is no longer a safe place to live, at least in the eyes of some of its richest residents - and the 47th president of the United States. "I think he's done a terrible job," Donald Trump said during his state visit to the UK last month in his latest broadside at London's mayor, Sadiq Khan. "Crime in London is through the roof."

Trump's view is increasingly accepted wisdom in rightwing circles and is gaining traction more widely. Crime is even being blamed - along with rising taxes - for an apparent exodus of the super-rich from the UK.

A prime property agent recalls a client's Rolex being stolen off his wrist the first night he moved into Kensington, the west London neighbourhood that is one of the city's most affluent.

Advisers to the super-rich describe a city where “spotters” linger outside exclusive restaurants sizing up possible targets, while demand for private bodyguards grows. It is a view that Reform UK’s leader, Nigel Farage, often repeats, warning one journalist: “I dare you to walk through the West End of London after 9 o’clock of an evening wearing jewellery. You wouldn’t do it. You know that I’m right. You wouldn’t do it.”

A series of high-profile crimes has helped reinforce that view. The ex-Formula One driver Jenson Button and his wife, Brittny, had a suitcase containing £250,000 ($330,000) worth of valuables snatched within moments of their arrival at St Pancras International. In January, the socialite Shafira Huang’s mansion in Primrose Hill, north London, was burgled, with thieves taking more than £10m worth of bespoke jewellery.