North London boroughs among worst affected by crime

There were close to 50,000 thefts and burglaries in London’s commercial property between July 2016 and June 2017, according to research from Locksmithservice.co.uk. Of the 48,650 thefts and burglaries in the capital, 4,426 were in Westminster – by far the highest in London. Boroughs north of the river were among the worst affected, with Newham, Ealing and Camden following Westminster. Meanwhile, some of the most affluent areas were least affected, including Richmond upon Thames, which reported six and a half times fewer thefts and burglaries than Westminster. Victor Baron, managing director of locksmithservice.co.uk, said: “Burglaries and theft related crimes in commercial properties is certainly not uncommon. “Burglars are often opportunistic and seek to find easily accessible points to a building – from an insecure door to poorly glazed windows. “Those who consider themselves less vulnerable with lower valued stock are in fact more susceptible as they go to very little lengths to protect their building, therefore making themselves easy targets.” To send feedback, e-mail karl.tomusk@egi.co.uk or tweet @ktomusk or @estatesgazette