Uplift in patrols: West End businesses fund major Christmas crime crackdown November 19, 2025 The largest single private-sector investment in enhanced security and policing in London’s West End was launched, involving over 600 businesses in the busy section of the capital. Operation West End, an initiative from the New West End Company, which represents over 600 West End businesses, including on Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street, works [...]
One in four retail workers physically assaulted on the job November 4, 2025 A quarter of retail workers have been physically assaulted on the job as retail crime continues to worsen in the UK. Close to half of retail staff (44 per cent) said they’re being abused or attacked every week, up 10 per cent year on year, according to a new report from the Retail Trust. A [...]
Smuggling gangs likely to capitalise on tobacco bill, experts say October 27, 2025 As the Lords debate Labour’s tobacco and vapes Bill, experts have warned it could hand a major victory to the same organised criminal gangs behind illegal smuggling. Labour’s proposed Bill, which started the committee stage at the House of Lords on Monday, would create a generational ban on tobacco sales and implement stricter regulations on [...]
AI drives surge in fraud as criminals turn to more sophisticated scams October 24, 2025 Fraud losses hit £629m in H1 2025, driven by new investment scams and record card fraud, as AI enables criminals to commit more sophisticated scams. For the first six months of 2025, there were over 2m confirmed fraud cases, a 17 per cent increase, according to trade body UK Finance, as criminals stole £629.3m, a [...]
Legal sector feeling subdued as regulator loses its AML powers October 23, 2025 The Treasury’s decision to transfer oversight of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing supervision to the FCA has sparked concerns within the professional services sector. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) served as a Professional Body Supervisor (PBS) for AMLCT for law firms across England and Wales, while for the accountancy sector, the HMRC plays the supervision [...]
Rolex is London’s most stolen luxury watch, but few recovered by Met Police October 21, 2025 Over 5,000 luxury watches have been stolen in London over the last three years, but barely one in 88 of these watches has been recovered by the Metropolitan Police. According to a Freedom of Information request seen by City AM, there have been 5,180 high-value watches, worth £3,000 or more, stolen between January 2022 and [...]
Is Sadiq trying to gaslight Londoners about crime? October 16, 2025 The Mayor is desperate to convince Londoners that crime is falling, despite all the evidence to the contrary, writes James Ford London does not have a crime problem; it has a misinformation problem. That is the assertion of the capital’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan. Clearly wounded by President Trump’s recent claim that “crime in London is [...]
Legal profession hits back at Robert Jenrick threat against ‘activist’ judges October 13, 2025 Legal bodies representing over 250,000 lawyers have hit back against “politically motivated attacks” on the legal sector as “irresponsible and dangerous”, a week after the shadow justice secretary pledged to sack ‘activist’ judges. Last Tuesday, speaking at the Tory Conference, Robert Jenrick announced a sweeping crackdown on what he describes as “pro-migration bias” in the [...]
Parliament must ‘challenge’ Labour’s handling of China spy case October 10, 2025 Parliament has to “challenge the government’s handling” of the collapsed case against two men accused of spying for China, a senior Tory has told City AM. Speaking to City AM, David Davis MP, stated the issue must go to Parliament, “given that the government has quite explicitly put commercial interest ahead of the security and integrity [...]
Labour’s tobacco bill risks empowering black market, warns shadow minister October 7, 2025 The Labour government’s proposed Tobacco and Vapes Bill could hand a significant boost to criminal gangs and fuel the growing black market in illicit goods across the UK, the shadow policing minister has warned. Matt Vickers MP has told City AM that the legislation, aimed at curbing smoking and youth vaping, fails to address the [...]