Less than one per cent of phone theft cases lead to a criminal charge, figures show
Damning police data has revealed that less than one per cent of mobile phone thefts result in a penalty.
A freedom of information request showed that around nine in 10 cases are closed before a suspect is identified, with the Met Police closing 95 per cent of investigations.
86,000 phone thefts were reported to the Met, Britain’s largest police force, in 2024-25.
The issue has come under increased scrutiny since Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney’s government phone containing messages to Lord Peter Mandelson was stolen last October.
The Met Police closed the case after the call handler listed the address of the incident as east London rather than Westminster.
They are reviewing the investigation after Mr McSweeney was asked to pass his texts and messages to the former US ambassador as part of the government’s investigation into his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
The request found that of the 17 responding police forces, only 0.3 per cent of thefts reported to the Met resulted in a penalty.
Max Wilkinson, the Liberal Democrats’ home affairs spokesman, said: “The theft of Morgan McSweeney’s phone was just the tip of the iceberg. People could be forgiven for concluding that phone theft has been effectively decriminalised.
“Criminal gangs feel emboldened to attack in broad daylight, knowing they have less than a 1 percent chance of being caught.
“A stolen phone is not just an expensive item, it holds your entire digital life, from your bank accounts to your private messages. The closure of thousands of these cases without even mentioning the suspect’s name is a slap in the face to the victims.
“The Liberal Democrats are biding their time on this epidemic of phone snatching. It’s time for a special unit of the National Crime Agency to track down the professional gangs behind these thefts and end the era of daylight robbery.”
The Liberal Democrats called on the government to tighten regulations to ensure phone providers immediately deactivate stolen phones; This will impact the criminal market for the resale of devices.
Sir Keir said it was “a bit of an exaggeration” to suggest that the theft of Mr McSweeney’s phone was in any way linked to the publication of the files on Lord Mandelson.
Speaking to broadcasters in Helsinki last week, the prime minister insisted the phone had been stolen and dismissed suggestions that the claim was an attempt to stir up trouble.
He said: “The phone was stolen. It was reported to the police. There is a transcript of the conversation where Morgan McSweeney gives her name, date of birth, details of the phone and the police confirmed it was reported.”
“Unfortunately, thefts like this happen. It was stolen. It was reported at that time, and the police accepted and confirmed it. And that’s what happened.”
He added: “The idea that anyone could have somehow seen that there would be a telephone demand at some point in the future is, in my opinion, a bit far-fetched.”
A Met spokesman said: “We are relentlessly cracking down on phone thieves and dismantling organized crime networks at all levels, from pickpockets and phone snatchers operating on our streets, to handlers who profit from their crimes and international networks that export stolen phones abroad.
“Over the past year we have made hundreds of arrests and recovered tens of thousands of stolen devices. This work has meant 10,000 fewer people faced the stress, cost and disruption of having their phones stolen. This work is making London an even safer city.
“But police alone cannot solve this problem. Manufacturers and technology companies must do more to stop criminals from resetting, reusing or reselling stolen phones.”
“We also need the courts to play their part by preventing repeat offenders from being granted bail only to go out and reoffend, undermining the hard work officers do to keep communities safe.”
